Hundreds of overseas Vietnamese have expressed dissatisfaction and concern over the way the newly amended Nationality and Housing laws are being implemented, saying there is uniformity that they can rely on.
Their concerns were expressed at a workshop held on Sunday, January 31, by the Ho Chi Minh City Overseas Vietnamese Liaison Association.
Association chairwoman Luong Bach Van said that since the laws took effect on July 1, 2009, many problems have come up during their implementation over the last seven months.
Most overseas Vietnamese found local administrations inflexible in managing the requirement for legal documentation. They also found that different localities understood and implemented the laws differently.
Regarding the Housing Law, Hoang, an overseas Vietnamese from Canada, said as he went from agency to agency to initiate procedures to own a house together with his wife, they all refused, saying law is yet to be implemented though it has been passed.
Nguyen Manh Ha, head of the Ministry of Construction’s Housing and Real Estate Market Management Department, said, “I am sorry about this. Though the Housing Law has taken effect, a decree with instructions on its implementation is yet to be issued.”
Mr. Ha promised that a decree will be promulgated as soon as possible.
Quach Hung Tong, an overseas Vietnamese in the US, said in recent years, the Vietnamese Party and Government have adopted many policies intended for overseas Vietnamese, including visa exemption.
It’s completely appropriate that overseas Vietnamese are facilitated to buy housing in Vietnam, he said, adding, “I hope the law will be loosened further so more and more overseas Vietnamese can return home to live.”
The Government has introduced policies, now relevant agencies should simplify administrative procedures so overseas Vietnamese can enjoy their interests and rights, Mr. Tong said.
