Facilitating land policies to develop non-public education

In land planning, attention should be paid to land for non-public education.

People's incomes are increasing day by day. Many well-off families want their children to study in high-quality schools outside the public system. The development of the non-public education and training system both concretizes Resolution No. 29-NQ/TW of the 8th Central Conference, 11th tenure on "Fundamental and comprehensive innovation of education and training, meeting the requirements of industrialization and modernization in the context of a socialist-oriented market economy and international integration", and reduces pressure on the state budget.

To put the Party's Resolution into practice, the Government issued Decree No. 69/2008/ND-CP on policies to encourage socialization of activities in the fields of education, vocational training, health, culture, sports, and environment; Decree No. 59/2014/ND-CP amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 69/2008/ND-CP to suit the practical situation. Investors implementing socialization enjoy many preferential policies, such as being allocated land by the State, leasing land that has completed site clearance; receiving financial support for compensation and site clearance for investment projects that have self-performed compensation and site clearance; enjoying preferential corporate income tax rates, etc.

Article 152 of the draft Land Law (amended) continues to have provisions that make it difficult for the non-public education and training sector. Point a, Clause 1 of the draft law stipulates that land use in urban areas and urban development planning areas will not be subject to exemption or reduction of land use fees and land rent. This means that non-public schools built on land in urban areas and urban development planning areas will not be subject to exemption or reduction of land use fees and land rent. Therefore, private individuals wishing to build schools in these areas must auction land use rights or bid for projects using land.

To facilitate land policies for the development of non-public education and training, the draft Land Law (amended) needs to stipulate that socialized activities in the field of education and training in any locality must be in the investment incentive sector, exempted from or reduced from land use fees and land rent. Land used for the development of non-public schools when the State leases land must satisfy Decree 69/2008/ND-CP on policies to encourage socialization of activities in the fields of education, vocational training, health, culture, sports, and environment; Decree 59/2014/ND-CP amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree 69/2008/ND-CP. In cases where there are 2 or more investors interested in a new project, an auction of land use rights or bidding for projects using land must be organized. In case there is only 1 investor, the State leases land without auctioning land use rights or bidding for projects using land.

PHUONG LINH(Hai Duong City)