The housing legislation must be changed and an amnesty should be conducted, expert

Transparency Azerbaijan, with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), organized a roundtable to discuss achievements and problems in registration of apartment houses.  The roundtable was one in a series organized by Transparency Azerbaijan aimed at facilitating dialogue between government institutions and NGOs on increasing transparency and accountability. The roundtable participants identified and discussed current deficiencies in efforts to minimize opportunities for corrupt practices in registration of apartment houses, and proposed ways to increase transparency and accountability in this area. Representatives of State Service for Registration of Real Estate, State Committee for Architecture and Urban Building, Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Prosecutor General’s Anti-Corruption Department, “Baku Electric Network” JSC, “Azersu” OJSC and other state agencies, as well as civil society members participated in the roundtable.

Speaking at the event, Hafiz Hasanov, expert of Transparency Azerbaijan, gave recommendations aimed to resolve problems and legislative legal loop holes in registration of apartment houses. Public agencies’ representatives spoke about the current state of state oversight of apartment houses and successful reforms targeting apartment houses’ registration. Participants agreed that recently efforts have been made to enhance the legal framework (such as the “Rules on technical appraisal of construction projects”, as well as the adoption of “Rules of enforcement of state control over construction”, etc.), which helped to solve many problems in this area. Still, a number of challenges for citizens remain. The main recommendation to solve the problems of owners of apartments that have been built and await the permission to be put into operation is to introduce a “single window” approach and to establish a Commission comprised of members of respective public agencies, as well as to create an interim data base for real estate in the interim stage.

Participants praised the exchange of views between government and civil society that took place at the roundtable. They also decided to deliver to the respective public agencies written recommendations from civil society organizations on improving transparency and accountability in the area of apartment houses’ registration.  Participants also addressed the questions by the media at the end of the event. -02В-