Opheffen landbouwmoratorium kan veel opleveren

Als verbod op de verkoop van landbouwgrond afloopt, dan kan dat tussen de één en anderhalf procent van het bruto nationaal product extra opleveren. Landbouwdeskundige Denis Nizalov meent dat het opheffen van het verbod ''meer effect op onze economie heeft dan alle buitenlandse leningen bij elkaar''. Agrarische bedrijven moeten nu grond pachten, soms wel van honderden eigenaren. Omdat ze niet weten hoe lang ze die grond kunnen blijven pachten wordt er te weinig geïnvesteerd in bemesting, waardoor de grond verpietert en steeds minder waard wordt.

Er is nu al een levendige illegale handel in landbouwgrond. ''Met alle bijbehorende aspecten zoals corruptie en het stelen van land.'' Volgens Nizalov zijn er zo'n 7 miljoen eigenaren van landbouwgrond, veelal kleine percelen die zijn verkregen toen de grote Sovjet-coöperaties werden opgedoekt. Er is ook meer dan 25.000 hectare in handen van de overheid gekomen na het overlijden van landeigenaren zonder erfgenaam. Ook ligt veel landbouwgrond simpelweg braak omdat niet duidelijk meer is wie er eigenaar van is.

Het verbod werd in 2001 ingesteld om speculeren met landbouwgrond tegen te gaan. Dat gebeurde nadat duidelijk werd dat al veel staatsbedrijven in verkeerde handen terecht waren gekomen. Het verbod, ook wel moratorium genoemd, is sindsdien al vele malen verlengd en loopt eind dit jaar opnieuw af.

De kans dat op het laatste moment tot verlenging wordt besloten is groot, zeker met het oog op het komende verkiezingsjaar. De politiek zal het eerst eens moeten worden over de manier waarop kleine en middelgrote agrarische bedrijven beschermd moeten worden tegen de grote bedrijven die na opheffing van het verbod al dan niet via stromannen op grote schaal hectares gaan opkopen.

Bron: Unian

Lifting of land sale moratorium to accelerate Ukrainian economy growth – expert 15:40, 30 October 2018 Economy 31 0 According to Nizalov, the moratorium and land reform concerns the rights to private property of about 7 million people who have received land in private ownership during privatization. Photo from UNIAN Photo from UNIAN Director of the project "Support for reforms in agriculture and land relations in Ukraine" Denys Nizalov has said the lifting of the moratorium on land sales will contribute to the annual growth of Ukraine's gross domestic product (GDP) by 1–1.5%. "The moratorium on land sales was introduced back in 2001 and extended many times. In fact, it restricts the rights of landowners in both private and local communities to communal property, and state ownership on the sale and purchase of land. In addition to limiting the rights, landowners get rent payments much lower than those that they would receive in a free land market. Landowners are unable to purchase land if they seek to expand production or sell their land if they don't need it. It especially concerns those who inherited land plots and show no interest in agricultural production," the expert said at the open discussion "Earth: Behind the Scenes of the Moratorium." According to the expert, territorial communities also receive lower rent payments and taxes for community lands. "If the land is underestimated, communities receive lower revenues and have no sufficient funds to support the social sector in rural areas," he said. At the same time, the opening of the land market would have the most significant effect on the country's economic development. Read alsoOver 25,000 ha of farmland given to Ukrainian state for free after owners' death "The state also underreceives the results of economic development, which could be seen subjects to the removal of such restrictions. According to various estimates, lifting the moratorium and introducing a free land market by increasing productivity and attracting investments could additionally bring 1-1.5% of GDP per year. This would have a greater effect than the attraction of foreign loans from international organizations. We have our own resources to accelerate economic growth," he stressed. Nizalov also noted the consequence of the ban on the land sale is the prevailing shadow market in agriculture. "For the agricultural land market, the shadow market is a very common phenomenon that leads to seizures by raiders, also being a source of corruption. In fact, the shadow market is a risk factor for investors, slowing down investment in the agricultural sector," the expert said. According to him, the moratorium and land reform concerns the rights to private property of about 7 million people who have received land in private ownership during privatization.

Read more on UNIAN: https://economics.unian.info/10317999-lifting-of-land-sale-moratorium-to-accelerate-ukrainian-economy-growth-expert.html