President Shavkat Mirziyoyev yesterday signed the Privatization of Non-agricultural Land Plots Bill into Law, whıch was passed by the Legislative Chamber on April 26 and was approved by the Senate on May 3.
The Law, which regulates the privatizatıon of land plots and the legal status of privatized plots, will take effect on March 1, 2020.
What land can be privatized
The following land plots can be prıvatızed:
- land plots on which the buildings and structures belonging to legal entities, industrial infrastructure facilities are located, as well as the land adjacent to them in the extent necessary for the conduct of production activities;
- land plots provided to Uzbekistan citizens for individual housing construction and ıts upkeep;
- free land plots;
- land plots provıded to the Urban Development Fund under the Ministry of Economy and Industry.
The land plots:
- located in territories that do not have approved and published layout plans;
- that are part of the lands of environmental, recreational, recreational and historical-cultural purposes, as well as lands of forest and water funds, general use of cities and towns (squares, streets, driveways, roads, embankments, squares, boulevards);
- infected with hazardous substances and susceptible to biogenic infection;
- provided to residents of free economic and small industrial zones
cannot be privatized.
Foreign citizens and legal entities - non-residents of Uzbekistan, as well as stateless persons cannot be subjects of land privatization.
Privatization of land can be can be made through:
- buyout by legal entities and individuals of land plots that are under permanent use (possession) or inherited for lifetime possession;
- purchase through an e-auction.
Funds from the privatization of land are allocated to the Urban Development Fund.
The privatization fees shall be fıxed by the Cabinet of Ministers by the differentiated ratios for certain categories of plots, legal entities and individuals, including those exempt from land tax.
Privatization of free land
Free land plots are determined by local government bodies based on the general plans of settlements and territories. They can be sold through an electronic auction in agreement with the Agency for Urbanization. Free plots can also be sold through an electronic online auction with investment obligations.
Property rights
Privatized land plots are the private property and objects of civil cırculatıon. “The right of private ownership to privatized land is inviolable,” the law says.
Owners of privatized plots have the right to:
- freely own, use and dispose of the land at their discretion and in their interests, including use it as a pledged item, making a contribution to the charter capital (charter fund) of a legal entity, lease it without violating the rights of law legal entities and individuals and the state;
- demand the elimination of any violations of the ownership right for the privatized land plot;
- independently manage the privatized land;
- erect residential, industrial, cultural, domestic and other buildings and structures, to carry out their restructuring and demolition.
The seizure of a privatized land is allowed only upon foreclosure as per the owner’s obligations in cases and in the manner prescribed by legislative acts, as well as in the procedure of nationalization, requisition and confiscation. The law details each of these cases.
