The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine plans to consider in the first reading on March 27 draft law No. 11533, which will significantly limit access to information about real estate. This may complicate the work of investigative journalists and create risks for citizens who buy housing.
This was reported by the Anti-Corruption Center (ACC).
What does the bill provide for?
The author of the bill is Igor Fris, a member of parliament from the Servant of the People party. The document proposes:
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For the period of martial law and a year after its end, close information about the exact location of real estate.
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Hide cadastral numbers of land plots.
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In open registers, leave only information about the country or administrative center of the location of the object.
In fact, this means that it will be impossible to find out the address of a specific property. For example, the register will indicate that the apartment is located in Kyiv, but without specifying the district or street.
Why is this dangerous?
1. Complicating the work of journalists
The draft law will close access to data on officials' real estate. This will make it impossible to verify their declarations, compare the value of declared apartments with real prices, and investigate potential corruption schemes.
2. Risks for real estate buyers
Ukrainians will not be able to verify the owner of an apartment or house before buying, which will increase the risk of fraud. People who buy housing with their last or borrowed money may fall into the trap of scammers.
3. Hiding corruption
Critics of the bill emphasize that it creates ideal conditions for hiding illegal assets of officials. Without open access to the registers, public control will become virtually impossible.
What do the authors of the bill say?
The author of the initiative, Igor Fris, has not yet provided a reasoned explanation of how such restrictions will protect society.
Deputies and declaration scandals
Recall that recently, MP Oleh Dunda (also from the Servant of the People party) found himself at the center of a scandal over his declaration. His annual income is 658 thousand hryvnias, which is a regular salary for a MP, but this is not enough to explain his luxurious assets.
