Red Tape Hot Box on building blocks
I am referring to new legislation on spatial planning, or rather the lack of it. Since the beginning of this year, most construction companies and any private investors that had previously been granted permission to start building have had to apply for new 'terms of construction' under less favorable conditions. However, in many local gminas there aren't any new spatial planning projects. The reason is that in many places the local policy-makers were certain that parliament wouldn't terminate the old ones, thus they didn't bother ratifying new projects. This means that, under the law, without the new spatial projects, the construction projects that were about to start or were already underway have been forced to stop. It doesn't need saying that, due to the lack of competency among the municipal administrations, affected companies and private investors are incurring severe delays.
Even the construction firms that did receive the new 'terms of construction' are running into financial problems. Many have started building under the old terms. But the new terms are much narrower in scope than those they previously worked with. In order to get around these tough new policies, the bribe business has unfortunately begun to flourish once again.
These new terms of construction might seem necessary in order to adapt our laws to EU regulations, but it needn't be done so drastically. Those construction projects that are underway and were accepted before the new legislation was implemented should be allowed to be completed. The only hope lies in the courts, where cases are prolonged yet further, thus there is a chance that affected construction companies will claim financial compensation.
Private investors also have a tough nut to crack. Due to the fact they finished building before the new spatial planning regulations came in, the houses they built appear in real estate registers as agricultural land. Therefore, in official papers they don't exist! They can't be legally sold nor rented. In order to overcome this obstacle, the owners have to send a request to the Agricultural Land Agency so they can sell these properties as 'waste land.' Only after they receive a positive response can they do as they wish. Since the beginning of the year, the Agency has received so many requests concerning this issue that they have had to employ more clerks just to reply to all the requests. Thus, the red tape is again gaining the upper hand, even under the new EU sky.
Even the construction firms that did receive the new 'terms of construction' are running into financial problems. Many have started building under the old terms. But the new terms are much narrower in scope than those they previously worked with. In order to get around these tough new policies, the bribe business has unfortunately begun to flourish once again.
These new terms of construction might seem necessary in order to adapt our laws to EU regulations, but it needn't be done so drastically. Those construction projects that are underway and were accepted before the new legislation was implemented should be allowed to be completed. The only hope lies in the courts, where cases are prolonged yet further, thus there is a chance that affected construction companies will claim financial compensation.
Private investors also have a tough nut to crack. Due to the fact they finished building before the new spatial planning regulations came in, the houses they built appear in real estate registers as agricultural land. Therefore, in official papers they don't exist! They can't be legally sold nor rented. In order to overcome this obstacle, the owners have to send a request to the Agricultural Land Agency so they can sell these properties as 'waste land.' Only after they receive a positive response can they do as they wish. Since the beginning of the year, the Agency has received so many requests concerning this issue that they have had to employ more clerks just to reply to all the requests. Thus, the red tape is again gaining the upper hand, even under the new EU sky.
