Bureaucratic bottlenecks persist despite progress
Although many legal hurdles for issuing pink books (home ownership certificates) to buyers of commercial housing projects in Ho Chi Minh City have been resolved, thousands of residents are still waiting for their documents.
According to the city’s Land Registration Office, since its formation, the 1645 Task Force — a special working group established to accelerate the issuance of ownership certificates for residents of commercial housing projects, chaired by the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment — has held over 40 meetings and reviewed around 200 projects.
Out of these, 165 projects, equivalent to about 84,055 housing units, have been cleared for pink book issuance. However, 35 projects still face complications requiring coordination among relevant departments. So far, developers have submitted nearly 34,000 applications for ownership certificates.
Of these, more than 20,700 have been issued; 1,092 are pending signature; 8,739 await buyers’ payment of registration taxes; and 30,659 tax transfer slips have been issued, with another 3,216 still pending. Despite progress, many developers have yet to submit documents for their projects, leaving thousands of homeowners waiting.
A striking example is the Tin Phong Apartment Project in Dong Hung Thuan Ward, developed by Tin Phong Construction, Trading and Production Company. The project, consisting of two towers with 408 apartments, has been occupied for more than ten years, but residents have not yet received their pink books. The project was found to have several violations, such as unauthorized changes in building use and disputes with Hung Thinh Real Estate Investment JSC, which purchased 387 units and transferred them to buyers.
At a June 18 meeting with the 1645 Task Force, Nguyen Toan Thang, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment and head of the task force, approved the issuance of pink books to home buyers on the condition that the developer provide a written commitment to remedy its violations. Yet, five months later, the developer has taken no action.
Resident Doan Van Tuyen said that when residents of the apartment heard they would finally receive the pink books, everyone was excited; but they are still waiting. Each time they ask, the developer says there is no update. Authorities must enforce stronger measures to ensure developers meet their obligations as residents can't wait indefinitely.
Similarly, at the K26 Apartment Complex in Hanh Thong Ward, developed by the Ministry of Defense’s Project Management Unit 98, 640 households have been waiting for ownership certificates for 16 years. According to resident Bui Thanh Tung, the developer has repeatedly promised to process the paperwork but has failed to deliver. Although the 1645 Task Force resolved legal issues related to the project in mid-2025, the pink books remain elusive.
Through meetings of the 1645 Task Force on resolving obstacles, Director Nguyen Toan Thang of the Department of Agriculture and Environment noted that developers have generally shown goodwill and accepted the issues analyzed and concluded by the task force. Some projects were resolved very quickly. Alongside projects that could be concluded immediately, there are also cases where developers need time to complete certain procedures. In such instances, the task force will issue pink books to residents first and continue monitoring the developers until they fulfill their responsibilities.
“Under the current Land Law and its guiding decrees, if developers incur obligations during project implementation but fail to meet them, authorities may apply strict measures. Specifically, violating developers will not be considered for any new projects nationwide. In addition, information about their violations will be published on the ministry’s and local authorities’ websites. This solution is essential to ensure developers fulfill their duties to home buyers,” Director Nguyen Toan Thang stated.
