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
