Unresolved applications for the privatization of state-owned land to be reviewed further

The proposed amendments to the law on the privatization of state-owned land beneath buildings do not set a new general deadline for applications. However, individuals who have not yet submitted an application to the Directorate for Legal-Property Affairs will have an additional opportunity: within one year of the law entering into force, they may submit documentation to transfer their right of use into a right of ownership, the Ministry of Finance announced.

The previous deadline for submitting applications expired on December 31, 2021.

The Ministry of Finance announced that, from the start of implementation of the law on the privatization and purchase of state-owned construction land until the final deadline, December 31, 2021, a total of 332,430 applications were registered at the regional units of the Directorate for Legal-Property Affairs. The largest number of applications were submitted in the units of Bitola, Prilep, Kumanovo and Shtip, as well as in the municipalities of Skopje, specifically Gazi Baba, Karpoš, Kisela Voda and Čair. A total of 75,000 applications were submitted in these Skopje municipalities alone.

Of the 332,000 applications submitted, 58,500 have still not been resolved. The proposed legal amendments aim to ensure that their review proceeds at a faster pace.

The fees for purchasing land from the state will not change. The set price was 61 denars per m2 for land located beneath a building. Thus, for an area of 100 m2, the cost is only 100 euros. For land intended for commercial, retail or business use, the fee is 438 denars per m2.

Owners of buildings constructed with proper documentation, or legalized buildings, may approach the relevant municipality to purchase the land, in accordance with the law on construction land. This procedure is different from privatization, and the fee of 1 euro per m2 does not apply.