Hundreds of real estate projects unlocked after land-use fee payments

May 09, 2026 | 09:00

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Land-related revenue in the first four months of Ho Chi Minh City increased sharply as a number of projects had legal bottlenecks resolved and developers began paying land-use fees.

According to Ho Chi Minh City Department of Finance report presented at the meeting reviewing the city’s socioeconomic performance in April, held on May 8, total state budget revenue in the first four months reached VND325.73 trillion ($12.53 billion), fulfilling 40.5 per cent of the annual target and rising 17.9 per cent compared to last year.

Of the total, land-use fee revenue in the first four months of 2026 was estimated at $562.5 million, equivalent to 16.3 per cent of the target assigned by the central government, and up 184.2 per cent on-year.

Some major developers making significant land-use fee payments included Can Gio Tourism Urban JSC with $72.5 million, Lotte Properties Ho Chi Minh City $45.4 million, Greatree Industrial JSC $26.8 million, Metro Star Investment JSC $26.8 million, Nguyen Phuong Real Estate Co., Ltd. $17.1 million, and Levacom Real Estate JSC $13.9 million.

Hundreds of real estate projects unlocked after land-use fee payments

Lotte Properties Ho Chi Minh City, developer of the Lotte Eco Smart City, is one of the big land-use fee payers

Ho Chi Minh City Department of Finance said the city has so far completed the removal of obstacles or identified solutions for all 838 projects subject to the government’s Official Dispatch No.112/CD-TTg on handling delayed and suspended projects to prevent waste and losses.

The total investment value of the projects that have been cleared or provided with solutions exceeded $7.9 billion, covering an area of more than 17,000 hectares.

According to the department, land-related revenue rose sharply on-year as several projects had legal issues resolved, enabling developers to start paying land-use fees, while a number of large payments for land-use fees and land rentals were also recorded.

In 2026, Ho Chi Minh City targets state budget revenue of around $38.5 billion, focusing on five key revenue sources: land-related revenue and land auctions; tax debt recovery; revenue from import-export activities; revenue from business and production activities; and other lawful sources of income.

To ensure its 2026 budget revenue target, Ho Chi Minh City will focus on reviewing and accelerating land-use rights auctions, appraising and approving land prices, while urging organisations and individuals to fully and promptly fulfil their obligations related to land-use fees and land rentals.

At the same time, the city has ordered stronger efforts to recover tax debts, particularly long-outstanding and large-value arrears, while effectively applying enforcement measures in accordance with regulations.

Efforts to prevent revenue losses will also be tightened, with a focus on e-invoices, tax refunds, e-commerce, digital platforms and real estate transfers. The city will also strengthen inspections and audits of revenue and cost declarations, related-party transactions and transfer pricing, while strictly handling tax fraud and evasion.