BR-VT Land Office Statistics: A Surge in Land-Related Paperwork
According to the latest statistics from the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Land Registration Office, the province received over 69,000 land-related documents in the first five months of 2025. Notably, May witnessed a surge with 26,062 documents, an increase of nearly 3,700 compared to the same period last year.
Continuous Clarification
Observations at the one-door office in Ba Ria city in early June 2025 revealed that dozens of people arrived early each day to wait for their turn to complete land-related procedures. While some clutched stacks of paperwork, others hurriedly looked up information on their phones as the officers worked tirelessly.
Nguyen Thi Hanh, a resident of Ba Ria city, shared her concerns about the province merger, worrying that the land paperwork process would become more complicated. She feared that she might have to travel to the center of Ho Chi Minh City, which would be time-consuming and costly, especially if the procedures changed or became more complex.
From January to May 31, the Ba Ria Land Registration Office Branch received 7,078 land-related documents, a 10% increase compared to the previous year. April saw the highest number of documents, with 1,866 submissions, over 30% of which were for land-use transfer procedures.
Crowds of people waiting to complete procedures at the one-door office in Ba Ria city, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province
This situation is not unique to Ba Ria city, as other localities in the province are experiencing similar trends. Many residents, especially the elderly or those living in rural, remote, or hard-to-reach areas, are concerned that the administrative merger will result in a change of the paperwork receiving agency, increasing the geographical distance and creating challenges for those with limited access to information or technology. Tran Anh Dung, a resident of Xuyen Moc district, shared his worries: “In the past, whenever I had to deal with land-related paperwork, I only needed to travel a few kilometers to the People’s Committee of the district. If we have to go to Ho Chi Minh City in the future, it will be very inconvenient, especially for the elderly who depend on their children or grandchildren for transportation.”
A paperwork receiving officer in Xuyen Moc district revealed that many people have recently inquired and sought advice on land-related procedures even though they do not yet have an actual need. “We have to continuously explain that the procedures remain unchanged and that the merger will not affect the rights or legal status of the people,” the officer added.
No Administrative Barriers
In response to the surge in paperwork and the concerns of the people, the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Land Registration Office assured that the province merger would only change the competent authority and the agency receiving the land-related documents. However, the land procedures will remain the same. Residents can still carry out the procedures at alternative agencies such as the Land Registration Office, its branches, the People’s Committees of communes, or other competent agencies.
Additionally, the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Land Registration Office clarified that after the administrative merger, there might be a need to adjust information in the land documents, such as land plot information or land user information. However, these adjustments are not mandatory and largely depend on the needs of the land users or when carrying out administrative procedures related to land. Previously issued documents remain legally valid and do not need to be reissued.
Moreover, with the National Assembly currently collecting opinions to amend the 2013 Constitution, related regulations such as the Land Law and its guiding decrees and circulars are also being drafted to align with the new governance model post-merger. Nonetheless, the Land Registration Office affirmed that this process would not disrupt the current land administrative procedure handling.
The Ba Ria-Vung Tau Department of Agriculture and Environment has instructed its branches to proactively increase staff during peak hours, shorten internal processing time, and apply information technology to quickly retrieve and update records. Thanks to these efforts, despite the high volume of documents, the province’s rate of on-time and early completion remains above 98%. Effective communication is crucial to ensuring that residents understand the nature of the administrative merger and that their rights remain unaffected. Additionally, there is a continuous commitment to improving administrative procedures by simplifying, clarifying, and making them more convenient.
Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dang Minh Thong, has signed a document requesting departments, branches, localities, and wards to embrace transparency, digitization, automation, artificial intelligence, and big data in implementing administrative procedures, especially in areas like land, planning, investment, and construction.
Convenience and Smooth Transition
Since June 9, when the new wards of Binh Duong province began their trial operation, there has been no sign of crowds or businesses rushing to complete paperwork. Nguyen Van Tuan, a resident of Thu Dau Mot city, shared that on June 12, he went to apply for a house number and was guided and had his paperwork accepted at the old ward as usual. The one-door office staff informed him that he could choose to submit his paperwork at the ward or the city’s Public Administration Center, and they would forward it to the respective functional units.
An official from the Binh Duong Public Administration Center revealed that the province has already implemented 100% of administrative procedures without geographical boundaries. Residents can visit any public administration center in the nearest ward or commune to complete their procedures.
This is also a preparatory step for Binh Duong province before its merger with Ho Chi Minh City, ensuring that residents won’t have to travel to the city to submit their paperwork. These administration centers are equipped with necessary equipment, volunteers, and members of the community digital technology group to guide and support residents and businesses in completing their administrative procedures.
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