Document of THE WORLD BANK Public Disclosure Authorized Report No. 32558-YE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN URBAN LAND POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION Public Disclosure Authorized POLICY NOTE Public Disclosure Authorized June 10, 2005 Public Disclosure Authorized Finance, Private Sector and Infrastructure Group Middle East and North Africa Currency Equivalents (Exchange Rate Effective May 30, 2005) Currency Unit = YR (Yemeni Rial) YR 1 = US$ 0.01 US$ 1 = YR 183.15 Abbreviations and Acronyms BOOT Build Own Operate Transfer BOT Build Operate Transfer CIF Cleaning and Improvement Fund COM Council of M inisters CSA Country Social Assessment GIA General Investment Authority GLC Governorate Local Council HJC Higher Judicial Council LR Land Registry LRL Land Registration Law LPTF Land Policy Task Force LRE Land and Real Estate MOA Ministry of Agriculture MOIT Ministry of Industry and Trade MOJ Ministry of Justice MOLA Ministry of Legal Affairs MOPIC Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation MOPWH Ministry of Public Works and Highways MoU Memorandum of Understanding PCDP Port Cities Development Program PDRY People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen PID Parcel Identification Document PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper ROW Right-of-way SALR Survey Authority and Land Registry SDL State Developable Lands SLRE State Lands and Real Estate SLREA State Lands and Real Estate Authority TMDFPP Taiz Municipal Development and Flood Protection Project TSC Titling Settlement Committee UWSSP Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project Arabic Terms Akd Bay’a Sale contract Akd Ijar Leasehold contract Akd Intifaa Right of use/usufruct contract Akd majan Land grant (majan means free) Akd Tamlik Freehold contract Akel Al Hara Local community leader in charge of civil affairs within the neighborhood Amin Notary Public in charge of conveyancing activities in Northern and Western Governorates Amlak al dawla/hokoomi State ownership Arady Bour Neglected or abandoned/uncultivated agricultural lands Arady Mokhassassa State Developable lands, defined as “lands that have been planned or prepared and serviced in view of distribution” (i.e. the urban expansion zones) Arady Mowat Dead or non-valorized lands Arady Salba Buildable lands (literary solid/flat land) Awqaf Trust/Religious Endowments Basira Contract/deed for immovable property transaction Daribet mabi’aat al aa’kariya Property transfer tax Farz/Ifraz Apportionment, undertaken through Istimaret Farz (apportionment form) Hajz Literally, a set aside; form of initial land allocation Hiyaza Adverse possession Ihya’a Valorization Ish’aar Tanfiz Literally, notice of implementation; form of initial land allocation Ish-haar Publicity Iskat Documentation of specific site on detailed plans Istimaret Mawqee Site (receipt) form Istimaret Taghier Hodoud Change of site boundaries form, used to document changes in land in view of regularizing the situation (usually annexation of public domain, but sometimes receipt of smaller than contracted State land parcel) Istimaret Idafet Messaha Addition of area form, used to regularize situations of annexation of public domain Lagnet Tathmin Valuation committee Lebna Measurement unit equals 44.45 square meters Ma’amour Tasjeel Registrar Mahdar Tahdid Awaly Literally, notice of site definition; form of initial land allocation Mahdar Tasslim/Istilam Literally, notice of site handover; form of initial land allocation (also called Mahdar Tasslim/Istilam Awaly, i.e. initial site handover) Marahek Public rainfall paths: mountains and slopes which receive and drain rainfall Meswadah Draft contract/basira Mulk horr Private ownership Orfi/Aaraf Customary norms Rasm Ma’zouniya Transfer authorization fee charged on all subsequent transfers of State lands Rossoum Khadamat Service delivery fees Rossoum Moagala Expedited fees (for service delivery) Sandouk Al Khadamat Services Fund Sejel ainee Parcel-based deed registration (system) or parcel-based deed register Sejel akary Land Registry Sejel al Manteqah Area register Sejel Kayd al Melkiyah Register of (ownership) contracts Sejel shakhsee Person-based deed registration (system) or person-based deed register Semsar Real Estate broker Shari’a Islamic Law Shufaa Right of preemption Taadil Modification (of master/detailed plans after their approval) Taahod Shira’/Ijar Commitment by squatter to buy/lease the land (part of the legalization process) Tadlees Non-authenticity Takadom Prescription Takhssiss Literally, earmarking of the site; form of initial land allocation Takrir Salama Faniya Site inspection clearance report declaring a site technically fit for inhabitation Tasjeel Registration Tawssiq Authentication Tazweer Forgery Ulema Religious scholars Waqf Trust/endowment Wathiqa Official document, i.e. basira Zakat Religious tax Vice President: Christiaan Poortman Country Director: Emmanuel Mbi Country Manager: Mustapha Rouis Sector Director: Hossein Razavi Sector Manager: Hedi Larbi Task Team Leader: Stephen Karam Acknowledgements Preparation of this Policy Note was carried out by a team consisting of Stephen Karam (Task Team Leader, Sr. Urban Economist), Sameh Wahba (Urban Specialist), John Bruce (Sr. Legal Counsel), and Bijan Azad (Consultant, Land Administration Specialist). The team was ably assisted by Susan Hassan Hameed, who helped organize and prepare for the Urban Land Policy and Administration Workshop, and Elena Gagieva, who provided editorial and formatting support for the production of the Policy Note. Field Survey and Research was carried out by Najib Maktari, and case studies were prepared by Hafez Fadel, whose comments and feedback on the field survey research greatly enhanced the team’s understanding of the special dynamics of land policy and administration issues in Yemen. The team would like to recognize the very significant leadership role of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC), H.E. Ahmed Sofan, who was the keynote speaker at the February 2005 Workshop and who provided guidance and shared his development vision regarding the significance of land as a constraint to investment in Yemen. Dr. Mohammed Sabbry provided critical insights and coordination support prior to and subsequent to the Workshop and has maintained effective follow-up to the by facilitating the work of the Yemen Urban Land Policy Task Force (LPTF). The team would especially like to express its debt of gratitude to the many government, private sector and civil society members of the LPTF who graciously provided their time, documentation, data, and expert feedback and guidance in the process of preparing this Policy Note, in particula r Representatives of Parliament, the Survey Authority and Land Registry (SALR), the State Land and Real Estate Authority (SLREA), the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and Judiciary, the Federation of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Notary Publics (Amins). Without such ownership and genuine commitment to this work, the team would not have been able to complete this Policy Note. Peer Reviewers, including Omar Razzaz (Country Manager, MNCLB), Gershon Feder (Research Manager, DECRG) and Robin Rajack (Land Administration Specialist, TUDUR), provided valuable and timely feedback and comments to strengthen the Policy Note. Gaiv Tata (Yemen Country Program Coordinator) chaired the Review Meeting and provided follow up guidance to the team. The Policy Note was issued under the guidance of MNSIF Sector Management, including Hedi Larbi (Sector Manager, Urban and Transport) and Hossein Razavi (Sector Director). Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................................................... II LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................................................................. V LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................................................................VI EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..............................................................................................................................................VII SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................1 1.1 BACKGROUND............................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 OBJECTIVES................................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.3 GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT.................................................................................................................................. 2 1.4 STUDY METHODOLOGY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.............................................................................. 3 1.5 LIMITATIONS.............................................................................................................................................................. 3 1.6 CONTENTS.................................................................................................................................................................. 4 SECTION 2. ADMINISTRATION OF LAND TENURE SECURITY: LAND REG ISTRATION AND LAND DISPUTE RESOLUTION ...........................................................................................................................5