Any restriction on purchase of land must be justified, agreed – Dpty Agriculture Minister

KYIV. Aug 30 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Any limitation on the maximum area of ​​land plots concentrated in the ownership of one individual or legal entity must be justified and agreed by all stakeholders, while any administrative barriers reduce the liquidity of land as an underlying asset.

This opinion was expressed by Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Dzioba, commenting at a press conference in Kyiv on Monday on the initiative of MPs from the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, who proposed in bill No. 5771-1 to reduce the maximum area of ​​land plots allowed for purchase by citizens of Ukraine and legal entities from January 1, 2024 from the current 10,000 hectares to 500 hectares.

"Regarding 10,000 hectares and 500 hectares – our opinion [of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy] that any number should be justified in one way or another. Some 10,000 hectares at one time was a compromise, respectively, his justification was that this is a compromise, on which the participants in the decision-making on the relevant law agreed. In general, any ’round’ number always raises some suspicion in me: it is not clear why 500 hectares, and not 550 hectares, 432 hectares, etc. initiative."

He said the position of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy: the functioning of the land market should bring its owner the maximum possible amount when it is sold. At the same time, the more administrative norms and obstacles are created that someone will have to check or restrict, the more the liquidity of the land and, accordingly, its value decreases.

"We, as a ministry, stand for the maximization of the underlying asset and will take all the actions that can contribute to its growth," the deputy minister said.

However, he refrained from assessing the chances of the adoption of this bill in the Verkhovna Rada.