Today, the adjustments to the land legislation were in the center of attention of the head of state. The innovations initiated by the government are reflected in the draft decree that Alexander Lukashenko has personally reviewed twice. Some of the proposed innovations are radical and controversial. That is why the President initiated a wide discussion by the governors and the government. The order that has been built for three decades cannot be broken by ill-considered decisions. And that's why close attention is paid to each proposed rule. For example, plots of land up to one hectare are proposed to be permitted for the construction of private houses, but will there be enough land for everyone not to cut down the forest?
Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus:
As always, I ask the question: these innovations that are proposed, are they needed at all and who needs them? Do you mean the peasants, the people who have historically lived on these lands, or someone who have bought little pieces of land near Minsk at low prices (land prices are going up now) and now wants, as you say, to freely dispose of this land?
Among the possible innovations proposed is the expansion of the opportunities to legalize the unauthorized land plots and to change the intended use of a land plot before the construction is completed. The President also raised a number of questions in this regard, because at the moment it is practically impossible to legalize an unauthorized land plot. A situation may arise, when a person takes land to build a house and engage in agriculture, and then wants to use the land for completely different purposes. In addition, the Council of Ministers believes that it's time to allow the free disposal of the plots, received on concessional terms.
As I said at the beginning: who benefits from such innovations and changes? I am not refuting anything yet. I'm asking the questions.
Another proposed innovation is the free disposal of plots received on preferential terms. No consensus on the draft decree has been reached yet. Alexander Lukashenko's position is to adhere to reasonable and evolutionary development in land issues. The provision of land plots should not only bring economic benefits to the state, but also meet the expectations of the people and really solve their problems.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of the Republic of Belarus:
I instructed to adopted incentive mechanisms to disperse people around the country. We have enough distant villages, farmsteads and simply beautiful places 150-200 kilometers away from major cities that have been and are being cultivated by people.
Alexander Lukashenko reminded that the country has a successful experience with the development of urban settlements and the territories around them. "That is what is important for us today - to distribute everything," said the Belarusian leader. Moreover, there are land plots, which could be involved in the turnover, in the immediate vicinity of Minsk, if one approaches the issue in a business-like manner. Sometimes these plots are less suitable for construction and require additional investment.
Agricultural and forest lands must remain in state ownership
The second task is to de-bureaucratize and remove excessive administrative barriers. The strict requirement of Alexander Lukashenko is that agricultural land, arable land, and forest land should remain in state ownership. It is the food security of our country and the most important sector of the economy. And this is the area of responsibility of the President. The rest of the land plots can be delegated to local authorities, from governors to chairmen of village executive committees.
There is also a possibility of splitting up land plots so that people could have an opportunity, for example, to build a house on a plot of land next to their parents. A more flexible and variable approach to the intended use of land is expected. It will be allowed to legalize land plots in excess of the allocated norm, if the interests of the other party are not affected. The First Deputy Prime Minister voiced the results of the meeting.
Nikolai Snopkov, First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus:
The President instructed us once again to return to the discussion of the main innovations of the decree in order to fulfill the target set by the President to the government during the meeting - all proposals must meet the expectations of people by 100%, they must be in demand by common people. Under no circumstances should we allow the speculation with land plots, he stressed. Most likely, we will carefully study again and extrapolate these norms to the real situation in the regions.
The innovations suggested by the Government do not apply to the lands adjacent to Minsk and regional capitals. In general, the President supported the adjustments. But he instructed to finalize a number of them and amend the legislation not by presidential decree, but by amendments to the Land Code. It is necessary to clearly define the principles of work, the boundaries of settlements and areas of responsibility in the near future.












