Zelensky orders farmland market legislation approved by Dec. 1

Ukrainian President Zelensky ordered Parliamentary
Speaker Dmytro Razumkov, People’s Servant Faction Head David Arakhamia and
Mykola Solskiy, the head of the parliamentary agriculture committee, to approve
legislation launching the farmland market by Dec. 1. At the Sept. 2 meeting
with Cabinet, Parliament and law enforcement leaders, he ordered Prime Minister
Oleksiy Honcharuk and the economy minister, Tymofiy Mylovanov, to prepare the
legislation by Oct. 1. He also charged them with launching a State Land
Cadaster “with 100% of land plots” by Jan. 1, 2021.

“Explain to society that no one is planning to take
away their land,” Zelensky said at the meeting, as reported by the
pravda.com.ua news site. “This is very important. The model of land reform is
aimed at developing Ukrainian farming and defending the interests of small
landowners, in the first place.”

At the same meeting, Zelensky ordered Honcharuk and
Finance Minister Oksana Markarova to draft legislation to legalize Ukraine’s
lucrative amber extraction and gambling businesses by Oct. 1. He ordered
Razumkov and Arakhamia to approve the legislation by Dec. 1.

Zenon Zawada: Investors
can expect Zelensky’s deadlines for the farmland market to be met, with its
approval being among his administration’s first successes. It should start
functioning in the summer of 2020, Honcharuk estimated, which means that much
work needs to be done to create a complete land cadaster in a short period of
time.

As for the illicit amber and casino businesses, it
makes perfect sense for them to be brought out of the shadows so that they
could be subject to law enforcement, as well as become a valuable source of tax
revenue. Regulations can be used to limit the negative social impact of casinos
on surrounding communities, particularly in restricting their locations.

It’s refreshing to see the president appoint specific
officials responsible for legislation, as well as set deadlines for their
approval. These are unprecedented steps that should make Ukrainian governance
more efficient.