Vice Chairman of the HCM City People's Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong presented the proposal at the fifth meeting of the city's People's Council for the 2026-2031 term.
Under the draft resolution, land users could develop underground space within their plot boundaries to a depth of 15 metres without paying underground space use fees.
The city said the 15-metre threshold was a financial benchmark, not a construction limit, with exemptions capped at shallower depths where required by planning rules.
Construction deeper than 15 metres would be subject to fees and must comply with planning and technical requirements, avoid overlapping with other projects and respect protected areas.
Fees would be calculated based on floor area, annual land rental rates, depth, applicable exemptions or reductions and payment periods. A coefficient of 0.3 would apply at depths of more than 15 metres to 30 metres, falling to 0.15 between 30 and 50 metres and zero beyond 50 metres.
The declining rates reflect higher costs at greater depths and would be reviewed every three years or after major changes.
Standalone underground car parks could use up to 45 per cent of floor space for commercial services in central and transit-oriented development areas, and 40 per cent elsewhere, to help recover investment costs.
Public underground walkways without commercial activities would be exempt from land rent and underground space charges. For mixed-use walkways, areas serving the public would remain exempt while commercial space would be subject to applicable fees.
