Vietnam Economic Times July, 13 2026

Dear readers,

For every country hoping to develop, there must be a range of resources at hand, of which land is among the most important and has a direct impact on economic growth.

Land, seen as a special resource of a nation and an important factor for national development, is managed in line with every country’s legal system. In Vietnam, land belongs to the entire people, with the State acting as the owners’ representative and uniformly managing it. The management, protection, and effective use of land resources are not only aimed at economic growth and ensuring sustainable development but also contribute to maintaining the country’s political stability and social order and safety.

Politburo Resolution No. 79-NQ/TW, dated January 6, 2026, on the development of the State economy, considers land “strategic capital,” placing it at the center of a strategy for mobilizing and allocating all resources for sustainable growth.

One question that arises, however, is how to manage, protect, allocate, and use land so that this “strategic capital” can achieve the greatest efficiency, thus creating momentum for the country’s socio-economic development. The answer largely depends on the effectiveness of land policies. The ultimate measure for evaluating the effectiveness of a modern land policy is how much value each square meter of land generates for the economy.

In his directive at the “Directions for perfecting the legal institution on land, amending the Land Law toward the goal of liberating resources for socio-economic development in the new era” seminar, organized by the Economic and Financial Committee of the National Assembly on July 1, Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Hong Dien emphasized that land is a special resource of the nation, a special means of production, and an important resource for national development; and land use rights are an important input factor for socio-economic development investment.

The reality shows that there remain many shortcomings and even deficiencies and errors in the management, protection, allocation, and use of land resources in Vietnam, leading to land-based waste and violations, especially in the real estate sector. As a result, the potential for land resources to contribute effectively to the country’s development is still to be fully realized.

To provide readers with the latest information on land resources as well as issues related to the management, allocation, and use of land in Vietnam, our Cover Story in this edition focuses on the topic of effective land management and use, creating resources for socio-economic development in the new era, with a series of articles that analyze the potential and advantages of land resources and solutions for creating added value from land. They also identify how land has been used in an inefficient manner, thus leading to waste, along with shortcomings and inadequacies in the legal framework and land management policies, especially those regarding land planning, land use planning, land use duration, land allocation, land leasing, land valuation and appraisal, bidding for land use rights, land recovery, and compensation, support, and resettlement when the State recovers land, etc.

While proposing a range of solutions to help address such issues, the articles also recommend amendments to the Land Law, the Law on Real Estate Business, and the Law on Housing, in order to build a modern and synchronized land governance system. In such a context, private enterprises are also encouraged to participate in implementing rental housing projects, as directed by Party and State leaders, to promptly meet the housing needs of workers, especially those in industrial parks and key economic regions throughout the country.

Warmest regards

Dr. CHU VAN LAM
CHAIRMAN OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD