Privatization Of Land In Uzbekistan

On August 13, 2019, the Law on Privatization of Non-Agricultural Land Plots (the "Law") was adopted. An unofficial translation of the Law is available in English at the following link: https://kostalegal.com/publications/law-on-privatization-of-non-agricultural-land-plots. The Law will come into force on March 1, 2020.

The adoption of the Law is an initial point from where the land privatization reform starts. Continued state ownership of lands is subject to partial termination as the land privatization process mainly concerns non-agricultural land plots. As per the Article 8 of the Land Code, "agricultural land is land provided for agricultural needs or designated for such purposes. It includes irrigated and rain-fed lands, croplands, lands with hayfields, permanent grassland, permanent crops and vineyards." Land plots that fall outside the definition provided will be within the scope of the Law.

Legal experiment

Together with the Law, Presidential Decree No. UP - 5780 of August 13, 2019 (the "Decree") was signed. Under this document, the Government clarified the reason of delayed effective date. As per the Decree, a legal experiment for testing the procedure of non-agricultural land privatization will be carried out in Syrdarya region of Uzbekistan before the Law enters into force. The experiment is aimed at identifying shortcomings and may help amend the Law. Moreover, the adoption of the Decree implies that the Law will be effective within the territory of Syrdarya region before it officially enters into force. By the end of September, corresponding legislative act will be signed for the experiment to start.

Institutional framework

According to the Law, the regulation of land privatization is centered on the following government authorities:

The Cabinet of Ministers - among other things, (i) develops, approves and publishes urban planning documentation, (ii) determines the procedure for privatization of vacant land plots, (iii) sets the amount of fee and method of payment for land plots being privatized, (iv) establishes the procedure for determining the market value of land plots; the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Land Resources, Geodesy, Cartography and State Cadaster - among other things, (i) carries out state registration of rights to land plots, (ii) manages land plots inventory, (iii) defines area and boundaries of land plots that are subject to privatization, (iv) prepares documents on vacant land plots subject...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT