AKEL MP Christos Christophides has called out the Department of Lands and Surveys for allegedly providing preferential information to entrepreneurs regarding unallocated state-owned land parcels.
Christophides claims that this information is then exploited by interested parties who submit applications for land use, ultimately leading to the approval of these applications by the Cabinet.
Speaking before the House Internal Affairs Committee, Christophides discussed a proposal from AKEL that aims to address the lack of transparency in the current land allocation process. The proposal suggests introducing competitive tenders for the allocation of state-owned land to the highest bidder.
Highlighting the flaws in the existing system, Christophides stated, “Based on the current procedure, someone somehow identifies state land in the land registry. After marking it, they submit an application, and the Ministerial Council determines a rent – if a decision for allocation is made – which, as a rule, is much lower than the market value, and they take possession of the land.”
The proposed law received support from representatives of state services and the Audit Office, which had previously raised concerns about transparency. A representative from the Law Office emphasised the need for careful consideration of the proposed regulations before presenting them to Parliament for approval.
Following the parliamentary committee’s discussion on the proposed law, Christophides expressed his concerns, stating, “We have heard from representatives of the Ministry of Commerce that we also have various phenomena. Many have taken multiple land parcels to exclude their competitors, and the projects are not progressing, such as for renewable energy sources.”
In light of these revelations, Christophides urged for a comprehensive overhaul of the current system, noting the detrimental impact on state revenue and society as a whole. He concluded, “In this situation, which deprives the state of revenue and, by extension, society, promotes opacity and, consequently, corruption, we need to put an end to it and regulate these issues for the benefit of society through transparent processes.”
© In-Cyprus.com
