Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu says the authorities are preparing a package of measures to intervene in the real estate market, according to BANI.MD. The authorities are taking these steps amid high housing prices and reports of abusive practices in the construction sector.
The official said that before adopting any decisions, the authorities will hold direct discussions with real estate developers to better understand the causes of rising prices.
“We are currently preparing a package of interventions, but first we want to talk with developers. We are even considering making available some state owned land, not in the city center, but nearby, in towns close to Chisinau,” Grosu said.
The speaker said the authorities want to verify whether the lack of land truly drives housing prices higher. They will also examine issues related to the commissioning of buildings.
The head of the Legislature criticized the practice of some developers who sell apartments in buildings that do not yet exist.
“There is another problem, a trick used by those who are not the most honest. They sell a property that does not exist. There is only a pit, and the developer tells you that on a floor which cannot be seen yet, you will have an extraordinary view of the forest or the lake. We must stop this practice,” Grosu said.
He added that such schemes have led to serious situations in which developers sold the same apartments multiple times.
“We have cases where developers sold apartments two or three times. People are going through the courts, and frustrations are high because the trials take a long time,” the official said.
Another area targeted by the authorities concerns the transparency of funds used in real estate transactions.
“On ones own responsibility, you come and declare it. If the money comes from abroad, you declare on your own responsibility that you earned this money, but the transaction must go through a bank,” the Parliament Speaker said.