Public consensus grows
These days, the construction site for the Xuyen Tam Canal renovation project, section through Binh Loi Trung Ward, is bustling with activity. Observing the cleared canal section and newly renovated homes after residents handed over land, long-time resident Tran Thanh Nha expressed satisfaction with the project’s progress in creating a greener and cleaner living environment.
This progress is the result of well-organized, practical compensation and site clearance efforts. In Binh Loi Trung Ward, the project affects 311 cases, including 139 full relocations. So far, compensation has been paid to 270 cases, totaling more than VND700 billion (US$26.6 million); 116 households have handed over land, and another 30 are expected to complete the process in March.
Compensation and site clearance for the Xuyen Tam Canal project have been identified as a key task under the Party Congress resolution of Binh Loi Trung Ward.
The ward Party Committee Secretary said a steering committee and compensation council were formed early, meeting every two weeks to resolve issues, while four teams engaged households to explain policies and secure support.
Similarly, for the dredging and environmental improvement project along the northern bank of the Doi Canal in Chanh Hung and Phu Dinh wards, after more than seven months, about 92 percent of affected households, 1,475 out of 1,604, have handed over land. In Phu Dinh Ward alone, 720 out of 804 households have completed land recovery procedures.
Of these, 56 out of 69 cases have received resettlement decisions, with the remainder in progress. Compensation, support, and resettlement work is expected to be largely completed by the end of the first quarter of 2026.
Removing bottlenecks
Despite positive results, land clearance efforts in Ho Chi Minh City still face several challenges. The project to upgrade and expand National Highway 22, section from An Suong intersection to Ring Road 3, is one of the city’s key transport projects, affecting around 1,400 cases.
In Xuan Thoi Son Commune alone, 1,031 households are affected, with total compensation costs estimated at VND4.7 trillion (US$178 million). Site clearance for this project is a major political task under the commune’s Party Congress resolution for the 2025–2030 term.
Mr. Pham Xuan Nam, Chairman of the Xuan Thoi Son Commune People’s Committee, said that the commune is coordinating with relevant units to encourage residents to hand over land. The specific land price is expected to be approved in April this year, followed by approval of compensation, support, and resettlement plans in May 2026.
However, challenges remain, including the large workload, high number of affected households, and complex or incomplete land legal documents in some cases, making it difficult to verify land origins and determine compensation levels.
The Party Congress resolution of Hiep Binh Ward also identifies compensation, support, and resettlement for the National Highway 13 expansion project, a section from Binh Trieu Bridge to Vinh Binh Bridge boundary as a key task. The project affects 1,041 cases, of which compensation has been paid to 575, equivalent to 55.2 percent.
Ms. Huynh Thi Hong Son, whose home at 962 National Highway 13 was handed over in mid-February 2026, has relocated to Tan Dong Hiep Ward. She shared that moving nearly 20 kilometers away has affected her family’s work and studies, but they agreed early for the greater public good.
According to Pham Van Hung, Vice Chairman of the Hiep Binh Ward People’s Committee, the ward is working closely with relevant units and investors to resolve obstacles and ensure all land is handed over by July 31, 2026.
At the city level, several new policies have been introduced to address bottlenecks, including temporary housing support of up to VND24 million (US$911) per household per month, guaranteed minimum resettlement quotas, additional support for self-relocation, and assistance for vocational training and job transitions.
Notably, incentive mechanisms for early land handover have been applied, with bonuses of up to VND100 million (US$3,794) for organizations and VND50 million (US$1,897) for households. These policies not only encourage cooperation but also recognize residents’ contributions.
At a meeting reviewing socio-economic performance in February 2026 and outlining tasks for March, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Duoc emphasized the need to accelerate and improve the effectiveness of public investment, with a focus on swift, decisive, and results-oriented implementation, aiming for 100 percent disbursement.
Priority will be given to accelerating key infrastructure projects and land clearance work serving major investments. The city is also developing performance indicators to assess how effectively each unit handles administrative procedures, forming the basis for transparent staff evaluation and reward–penalty mechanisms based on actual results.
