The removal from the agricultural land fund will be approximately 14 times more expensive

Prague - Changing agricultural land into building plots will be many times more expensive from the New Year than it is now. According to previously unpublished information obtained by Hospodářské noviny (HN) from the ministries of environment, agriculture, and finance, fees for the removal of the land from the agricultural land fund will increase by an average of fourteen times for the most valuable soils, and twice for the least valuable ones.
    The newspaper stated today that the increase in fees is expected to bring the state 1.7 billion crowns next year, which will be part of the so-called anti-solar package to prevent a sudden rise in electricity prices. The amendment, if approved by the Senate and signed by the president, will take effect from the New Year.
    “The change has been sought for years, the goal is mainly to significantly limit the development of the highest quality agricultural land,” said HN vice-chairman of the Chamber of Deputies' Economic Committee František Sivera (ODS).
    According to the newly established tables, for example, a hectare of land classified in the average third quality class, for which the fee for removal is currently 61,000 crowns, will now cost more than 300,000 crowns. The highest fees will be paid by applicants for land in the vicinity of large cities and highways, while fees for land in rural areas are expected to decrease.
    The increase in fees will also be reflected in the prices of all planned buildings such as family homes, industrial buildings, multifunctional facilities, or transport routes that involve the development of agricultural land. The only exception remains residential construction.
    According to HN, the significant increase in fees will deter some speculators from purchasing particularly valuable agricultural land, who are counting on later removal of the land and its development.
    Fees for the removal of land in the Czech Republic have not changed since 1992 and are among the lowest in the EU. According to Václav Marek from the Ministry of Environment, they do not fulfill their function of land protection. Therefore, the amendment aims to monitor land much better as a strategic commodity.