President sets task to launch market of land already in 2012

Speaking at a meeting of the Governing Council of the Committee on Economic Reforms, President Viktor Yanukovych noted that the debate on necessity to lift the moratorium on agricultural land sale has been going on for more than a decade now, "but talking is all that it remained.” 

Instead, President Yanukovych said, black market and corruption have been flourishing with the land being simply stolen. 

According to him, everybody acknowledges that the main obstacle to introducing agricultural land market is lack of relevant legislation, particularly the Laws of Ukraine "On Land Market" and "On State Land Cadastre”. 

"Grievances about the existing legislation are often heard on the part of the Government, MPs and the public. The experts are voicing numerous comments, but nobody wants to sit down and write adequate laws," he said. 

"We have a task – to launch the land market in 2012, and it must be executed. I would ask all those responsible for that – the Government, the Ministry of Agriculture – to remember your personal responsibility. The Laws "On Land Market" and "On State Land Cadastre” must be approved by the end of the first half of this year,” he said, presiential press office reports. 

Viktor Yanukovych also noted that these laws must not only define the conditions of land sale, but also prevent their inefficient use, degradation of soils, changing the purpose of land, land speculation, etc. 

"We introduce the market of land in order to encourage production, ensure equal access of domestic and foreign entities to it, and guarantee land having the most efficient owner, not speculation," he said. 

In addition, Viktor Yanukovych has assigned the Government to create a system of effective state control over the use and protection of land. 

"Launching the market of land must not result in its uncontrolled depletion. Failure to comply with the requirement to preserve land fertility must be inevitably punished," summed up the President of Ukraine.