LOCAL AUTHORITIES REQUIRED TO LIMIT REPEATED REQUESTS FOR LAND DOCUMENT SUPPLEMENTS

Applicants Should Receive Complete Guidance on Missing Documents

Under the Ministry’s requirements, local authorities must strengthen oversight of the entire process of receiving and processing land-related applications.

If an application is incomplete or fails to meet regulatory requirements, the receiving agency should provide comprehensive guidance on the necessary additions in a single notification. Repeatedly returning applications to request documents in stages should be minimized to reduce unnecessary time and costs for applicants.

Where an application is not eligible for processing, the competent authority must provide a written response clearly stating the reason and relevant legal grounds.

If an application is processed beyond the statutory deadline, the responsible agency must issue a written apology to the applicant. At the same time, the responsibilities of relevant organizations and individuals must be identified as a basis for performance assessment, commendation or disciplinary action.

No Preferential Treatment for Applications Filed Through Representatives

The Ministry has also highlighted the need to properly regulate applications submitted by authorized representatives.

Local authorities must ensure that authorization arrangements comply with civil and land laws. They are also required to identify cases where authorization mechanisms are misused to provide unauthorized services, evade tax obligations or improperly influence administrative procedures.

Applications submitted directly by residents and those filed through legally authorized representatives must be handled on an equal basis. No applicant should receive preferential treatment in terms of processing time or procedures simply because an intermediary is involved.

Qualified Personnel Required at One-Stop Service Offices

The Ministry has called on local authorities to review staffing arrangements at one-stop administrative service offices and prioritize personnel with appropriate professional expertise and a solid understanding of land regulations.

Officials responsible for receiving applications should provide complete guidance from the outset so that residents and businesses can prepare the required documents correctly and avoid repeated submissions.

Authorities are also required to publicly disclose key information on land-related procedures, including required documents, financial obligations, processing deadlines and application status. Such information should be available both on official online portals and at application reception offices, allowing applicants to monitor the process more easily.

Greater Use of Online Land Procedures

Local authorities have also been instructed to expand online application submission and digital delivery of administrative results.

Greater integration between land information systems and the National Population Database is encouraged to reduce unnecessary paperwork. Once relevant information can be verified and shared in accordance with regulations, applicants should not be required to resubmit documents or data that government agencies already have access to.

Digital integration is expected to help reduce compliance costs and minimize unnecessary intermediary steps in land-related administrative procedures.

Stronger Inspections Where Complaints Are Frequent

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has called for greater administrative inspections and supervision in localities and agencies that receive frequent complaints regarding land procedures.

Officials found to have caused unnecessary difficulties, deliberately delayed applications or improperly interfered with the processing of documents must face appropriate disciplinary action.

Officials who violate regulations or no longer meet the required standards of professional conduct may be reassigned from positions involving the receipt and processing of administrative applications.

Provincial and municipal authorities are also required to make complaint channels publicly available, including hotlines, email addresses and physical locations for submitting reports. These channels will allow residents and businesses to report suspected cases of misconduct, harassment or corruption in the handling of land-related procedures.

Strengthening application procedures, improving transparency and increasing accountability among officials are expected to help shorten processing times, reduce compliance costs for residents and businesses, and improve transparency in land administration.