Under the new regulations, commune-level authorities are authorized to issue building permits for Grade III and Grade IV construction projects, including individual houses built by households and private individuals within their jurisdictions.
Building permits must comply with land-use purposes, applicable planning regulations, construction safety standards, environmental protection requirements, fire prevention and firefighting regulations, technical infrastructure connectivity requirements and approved construction designs.
Applications for new building permits must include a standard application form, legal land-use documents and construction design dossiers, in accordance with the type of project.
If construction has not commenced by the time a building permit expires, the investor must apply for an extension. A permit may be extended up to two times, with each extension valid for 12 months.
Commune- and ward-level People's Committees, together with the Con Dao Special Zone administration, are fully responsible for managing construction order for Grade III and Grade IV projects and individual houses within their jurisdictions. Their oversight extends from the receipt of construction commencement notices through project completion, acceptance and operation.
For projects exempt from building permit requirements, local authorities must verify that the exemption conditions are met, ensure compliance with the applicable planning framework used as the basis for project approval, and confirm that construction conforms to the key specifications of the approved feasibility study, where applicable.
The municipal Department of Construction also instructed local authorities to immediately order work to stop upon detecting construction violations, supervise compliance with suspension orders, implement necessary enforcement measures and, where appropriate, carry out compulsory actions against projects that violate construction regulations.
