During its plenary session on November 17, Parliament reviewed the draft revision of the Land Law and other corresponding bills.
Since its enactment in 2003, the Land Law has been amended 32 times. More than 60 laws and about 200 land regulations regulate land relations, which create duplications, gaps and conflicts in the legal framework. Therefore, bill initiators believe that there is a need to create a unified legal framework to regulate land relations.
In accordance with the bill, new land allocation will be planned in line with long, medium and short-term policy documents for Mongolia’s development. Line ministries, agencies and citizens will be able to submit their comments and recommendations on land management planning documents.
The draft revision stipulates that inter-sectoral coordination will be ensured through integrated land planning and registration. The bill will protect the legal rights of citizens and legal entities with land ownership rights and permits granted by the state. Moreover, land certification activities will be organized via a transparent, fast and accessible e-system, according to State Secretary of the Ministry of Construction and Urban Development S.Magnaibayar.
He informed, “Citizens and legal entities will be able to own and trade land through the electronic land exchange. People will be able to transfer their own land to a legal entity of Mongolia with limited land rights. The draft revision of the law will also bring state-owned land in line with the Civil Code. Joint land ownership rights will be granted to owners of land for public housing and multi-owner buildings.”
During the session, Member of Parliament G.Ganbold commented that people are suffering because the districts do not make tripartite agreements for land, before saying that 23 percent of the cases in court are related to land disputes. He stressed that the bill initiators are not focusing on addressing the main land disputes.
“The main crucial law after the Constitution is the Land Law. The basis for the draft revision of the law is unclear. On what grounds is the law being revised? Have discussion been held without the participation of herders, farmers and representatives of local communities? On top of that, in Tuv Province, there is a high concentration of population. The province has a border dispute with all the surrounding provinces,” parliamentarian Ts.Tuvaan expressed.
State Secretary S.Magnaisuren responded, “It was found that there about 60 overlaps in land regulations and legislations. Therefore, we initiated the revision of the Land Law.”
