Macedonia Mayors Oppose Amnesty for Illegal Buildings

The government has proposed that owners of buildings that do not have proper permits should pay a symbolic sum of one euro per square metre to become legal, but a number of mayors have complained that Skopje is being generous with money that belongs to municipalities.

“This populist move is affecting our work,” the mayor of the northern town of Kumanovo, Zoran Damjanovski, told Balkan Insight.

“[The draft law] violates the fiscal jurisdiction of the municipalities and discriminates against people who regularly pay their taxes. Why should we now grant benefits to those who evaded the law?” Damjanovski said.

Although there are no official data on the subject, some estimates say that as much as 40 per cent of all houses and buildings in Macedonia do not have proper permits. The state has tolerated this practice for decades.

Damjanovski explained that instead of legalising the houses, the taxes that go into city budgets, including from  construction, should be raised. This would allow municipalities to pay for the urban planning and infrastructure needed for new houses and offices, he added.

But Transport Minister Mile Janakieski, who formally submitted the draft law, insisted this weekend that the government is “proposing the measure in order to meet the financial ability of those living in illegal buildings”.

Meanwhile, the Union of Macedonian Municipalities, ZELS, met Janakieski at the weekend and asked for government help with urban development.

“Over the next few years the municipalities should get between 250 and 300 million euros in continuous support from the government. If we don't get this money, we will not be able to deal with urban development in our cities,” the mayor of the Skopje municipality of Kisela Voda said.

If the government's law on amnesty passes, municipalities will have three years to incorporate areas with illegal buildings into their urban development plans, which includes connecting the houses to city infrastructure.

Several mayors and legal experts have told local media that if it passes, the measure could easily be overturned by the Constitutional Court on the basis of discrimination.

The draft law entered parliament procedure on Monday, and the Transport Ministry said it is willing to accept amendments.