The Ministry of Natural Resources ("MNR") has recently issued the Circular on Advancing the Reform of "Combining Multiple Examination into One and Consolidating Multiple Certificates into One" for Land Use Planning Based on the "Initiative for Synergy of Different Plans" (the "Circular"), immediately effective from the date of issuance and valid for five years.
Major requirements of the Circular touch upon four aspects. First, the examination for proposed sites and the preliminary examination for land use will be combined together. As a result of the combination of opinions on the proposed site for a construction project and preliminary examination opinions on land use for the construction project, the competent authority of natural resources will issue the document of opinions on preliminary examination of land use and the proposed site for a construction project. Second, the construction land planning approval and the land use approval will be combined together. The construction land planning license and the construction land use approval certificate will be consolidated into one, and the competent authority of natural resources will grant the new construction land planning license. Third, different surveying and mapping business will be combined together, so are various checks. The surveying and mapping business for construction land use approval, urban-rural planning licensing, real estate registration, etc. will be all combined together, and the surveying and mapping results will be managed in a unified manner to make it possible to "consolidate different surveying and mapping business into one-time joint surveying and mapping and share the results". Fourth, the list of required documents for examination and approval will be shortened. All regions are required to issue new-edition certificates, in line with requirements for the reform of "combining multiple examination into one and consolidating multiple certificates into one".