The Ministry of Agriculture has come up with an unusual, if not dubious plan that would restrict the sale of agricultural land, giving local businesses special first right of refusal, according to a report today in Hospodarske Noviny.
The Ministry plans to introduce the new bill to take effect from May 2014, and it will see local farmers and farming businesses get first choice to purchase agricultural land, with the idea being to make sure it is still used for agricultural purposes. The right of refusal then passes to other businesses in the country, before the land can be offered to other entrepreneurs.
The effect of the new bill, designed to suppress what the Ministry refers to as ‘speculation’, can only be guessed at, but it could end up reflecting on the price that the land would fetch, and it would prevent incoming businesses from getting first choice of any agricultural land for sale.
Meanwhile a “protected area” in southern SVK ends up the hands of a housing developer thanks to some three shell trick involving land title transfers involving state officials, family and friends. “nothing illegal” transpired but the whole story illustrates just how morally corrupt society is.
I believe this plan will have the opposite effect to the spin proposal .
Given that all these Government types all know where the new Roads, Motorways, Arel Link Flyovers, Trading Estates and Billa/Coka Cola Distribution centres are likely to be in the future ( planning here id not as daft as you believe DC ) …..and then the `right person` be given the nod to then find one of the Ayran Elite who is close to the party ( buy it cheap, sell at three times the price ofcourse ) and can contribute to the greater good of Robin Hood Fico and his next election victory …
All nicely worked out …not a convoluted, but exercise in making the simple a profit .
So as an orna poda or agri land owner you will never get a good price for your land if you wish to sell.
Taking steps back are we not in “a free market”?
Ina Free Market ? No we are in a land where all are equal, except some are just more equal than others
I agree Mattej, if you own the land and you want to make a profit you sell to the highest bidder and not to a local who would get it cheap if there is no other bidders. It,s a step back to a system that never worked.
Well spotted George! This is yet another version of the money for old rope trick like paying the 25k each for Zodiac rubber boats to the “Slovak approved supplier” when the same boat with an engine, on a trailer cost 8k direct from the factory or the 500 euro PC’s that cost the military 19K each from another approved supplier with close links to clowns in the circus. No wonder this country makes no progress when those elected to power use all of their time dreaming up pocket lining scams.
Most of the land is rented by the pozemky fond. The rental fees are very very low.
If I want to sell, under this law common sense would say to sell to highest bidder but looks like that will not happen.
Good evaluation Dave C.
What a convoluted, exercise in making the simple as complicated as possible. Never heard of zoning? Local and regional development plans? Green belt policies? Planning restrictions? or are these beyond local comprehension.
All this proposal appears to do is ensure “local, home grown” ” businesses ” can basically put a spanner in the works of any land sale, no doubt to the glee of the lawyers and courts. Clearly discriminatory in nature and a typically Slowvak crackpot idea. If Farma Vlado wants to sell a field he quite rightly should be able to sell it to the highest bidder, irrespective of being “local” or not.