Sunday, October 19, 2025

Vietnam Ministry of Home Affairs Proposes New Commune-Level Job Positions, Grants Real Estate Certification Powers to Local Officials

CaliToday (201/10/2025): Vietnam’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) has introduced a new policy orientation aimed at significantly reforming local governance, according to national press reports this morning. The proposal outlines plans to create and add new job positions at the commune level (cấp xã) and includes a significant decentralization of power, granting commune-level officials the authority to certify real estate contracts and transactions.


This move is part of a broader national strategy to streamline public administration, enhance the capacity of grassroots-level government, and make legal services more accessible to citizens.

Bolstering Grassroots Personnel

The first component of the proposal involves a structural review and subsequent addition of new employment positions for public servants at the commune, ward, and township level. This initiative aims to address the growing workload and increasing complexity of administrative tasks faced by local officials.

By introducing more specialized roles, the Ministry intends to professionalize local government bodies. This will allow them to better manage specialized fields such as digital transformation, environmental management, and complex social services, rather than relying on a small number of officials covering a wide rangeof duties. This expansion is seen as a crucial step in improving the efficiency and responsiveness of the government at the level closest to the people.

A Significant Shift in Legal Authority

The most notable element of the directive is the proposal to empower commune-level officials with the authority to certify (chứng thực) contracts and transactions related to real estate.

Currently, this responsibility is largely held by district-level Justice Departments (Phòng Tư pháp) or by public and private notary offices (Phòng Công chứng). For citizens, especially in rural or remote areas, this often requires significant travel and time to complete property-related paperwork.

If this new policy is implemented, commune-level People's Committees would be able to:

  • Certify the authenticity of signatures on real estate transfer contracts.

  • Validate legal documents related to land use rights and property ownership.

  • Handle other specific property-related transactions as defined by law.

This change is expected to dramatically reduce bureaucratic red tape for citizens and businesses. By bringing this essential service directly to the local commune, the government aims to simplify procedures, cut costs, and expedite the legal processing of land and property deals.

Rationale and Future Outlook

The Ministry of Home Affairs' orientation is a clear signal of a push towards greater administrative decentralization. By entrusting local officials with more responsibilities—and providing the new personnel to handle them—the government hopes to build a more agile and effective public service.

This proposal will likely undergo a period of further discussion and legislative review before full implementation. However, the directive sets a clear path forward for strengthening grassroots governance and simplifying one of the most critical and common legal procedures for Vietnamese citizens.


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