(...) "For example, in 2021, land parcels that have been in the queue since before 2008 are still being surveyed. Often, people do not live to see their place in the queue, and the restoration of property rights falls to the heirs of heirs across several generations. Consequently, most people choose to pay for land surveying out of their own pockets rather than wait for state support," notes Kristīne Jaunzeme.
The audit concluded that as of 1 June 2021, the list of land parcels to be surveyed using state budget funds contained 3,884 units. Up until 2022, the State Land Service (VZD) had planned funding of 70,000 euros per year for the cadastral surveying of land using state budget funds, which allowed for an average of 80 land parcels to be surveyed annually. From 2022, it is planned to allocate 140,000 euros per year, which will allow for the surveying of 160-170 land parcels.
Continuing at the planned pace, the State Audit Office (VK) predicts that this process will last at least another 20 years. At the same time, the audit found that the list of land to be surveyed using state budget funds contains inaccurate data, as it has not been purged of land parcels for which state budget funding for surveying is not applicable.
The audit points out that no institution has been designated as responsible for the planning and coordination of completing the land reform. Furthermore, there has been no assessment of whether, or to what extent, the goals of the reform have been achieved, or what legal solutions might facilitate its faster completion. The VK also mentions that there are no set deadlines for the completion of the land reform and the actions required for it, which, on the whole, does not contribute to its completion or the settlement of property rights in the foreseeable future.
The audit found that the Ministry of Justice (TM) and the VZD do not have information on how many people are still waiting for their land property rights to be restored. Moreover, the reform has resulted in a significant number of land parcels that belong to the state and local governments and have not yet undergone an initial cadastral survey.
Photo by oir.mobi used