On 19 November 2025, the Can Tho City People’s Committee convened the Evaluation Council to review the Project “Surveying and Assessing Enterprises’ Access to Land and Proposing Solutions to Improve Investment Attraction”. The project is jointly conducted by the Can Tho City Institute for Socio-Economic Development Studies (CISED) and the School of Law, Can Tho University.
According to Mr. Phan Trung Hien, Dean of the School of Law, the city’s investment attraction has been limited, with 75% of enterprises having to postpone or cancel their 2024 business plans. A survey by the Department of Planning and Investment indicates that many investors face barriers in land access and expect improvements in administrative procedures, information transparency, and project implementation timelines. The findings show that the average time for issuing a land-use rights certificate reached 100 days, which is far exceeding the statutory 17 days.
As a result, the Project focuses on 8 key areas: land-use planning; development of clean land reserves; site clearance; administrative procedures; access to information; land valuation; land-related incentives; and enterprise support.
Mr. Nguyen Van Khoi, Vice Chairman of the Can Tho City People’s Committee, affirmed the commitment to improving the legal framework and facilitating enterprise land access, especially as post-merger Can Tho City now spans over 6,000 km², has a population exceeding 4.19 million, and is designated to become a modern, sustainable, and region-leading delta city in industry, commerce, services, tourism, education, science and technology, healthcare, and culture.
The Project proposes several solutions to enhance the investment environment, including:
(1) Publicizing land-use planning and plans through a GIS-based, real-time digital system and developing a unified citywide digital planning map;
(2) Developing large-scale clean land reserves and conducting pre-emptive site clearance to serve industry, logistics, and smart urban development, with priority for former coastal areas of Soc Trang and Hau Giang;
(3) Reforming land-related administrative procedures by reducing intermediaries, disclosing processing progress, implementing full online public services and e-payments, and shortening the time required to issue land-use rights certificates;
(4) Enhancing transparency through a unified land data portal featuring real-time updates on land prices, procedures, and planning; and
(5) Applying market-based compensation mechanisms and shortening land survey and inventory timelines using digital technologies.
As the largest merged urban entity in the Mekong Delta, strategically connected by major expressways, an international airport, and the deep-water Tran De Port, Can Tho City holds significant potential for accelerated development. However, complicated procedures, high land prices, informal costs, and slow processing remain major obstacles to enterprise land access. The Project underscores that only with transparent procedures, abundant clean land reserves, and a rational land-price mechanism can help Can Tho City emerge as a leading investment destination and a dynamic, sustainable growth hub of the lower Mekong region.
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References: 1. Bnews, 19 November 2025
2. Phap Luat, 19 November 2025
