Land is not just a valuable resource, but also a topic that touches the interests of practically every resident of our district. To make land relations even more transparent, and to resolve disputed matters quickly and fairly, the country's legislation is constantly being improved. On June 1, the President of the Republic of Belarus signed Law No. 149‑Z “On Amendments to the Laws on the Regulation of Land Relations.” The document provides a number of new approaches in the field of protecting the rights of land users and regulating neighbor disputes. We spoke about legislative innovations with the head of the land registry department, Nadezhda Budovich‑Yarmak.

– What will change for land users in terms of protecting their rights? – First, a clear deadline has been introduced for appealing decisions of state bodies, actions or inactions of officials in the field of land relations – three years. Previously there was no such direct deadline, and this created uncertainty for both people and the bodies that considered complaints.

• Has the procedure for hearing land disputes changed? – The procedure itself hasn’t changed, but it has been supplemented with an important rule. Now the local executive committee or court is obliged to forward information about a land dispute to the territorial organization for state registration – and a specific deadline has been set for this. This is done so that the registrar is aware of the disputed plot and can take it into account when working with the register. Thus, the system becomes more transparent: all interested authorities know about it.

• Can one appeal the decision on a land dispute? – Yes, and there is also a new provision here. A deadline for appealing the decision to the higher executive committee or court has been established – one month from the day the decision is adopted. Previously this deadline was also not fixed. Now everything is clear: you get a decision – you have a month to file an appeal.

Recorded by Galina KAZAK. Photo by author.