Draft bill 171.

Summary.

The draft bill establishes a framework for awarding, free of charge, the lots containing workers’ homes in the former banana growing area of corregimiento Rodolfo Aguilar and Puerto Armuelles, within distrito de Barú. It proposes a special procedure through which occupants of those homes may request the land on which they stand. The scope of the proposal is tied to the lots in that area and the homes located on them, as set out in its opening article.

The text covers natural or legal persons occupying homes belonging to the nation that were previously occupied by Chiriquí Land Company and subsequently by Cooperativa Coosemupar, in distrito de Barú, provincia de Chiriquí. It provides for their use, enjoyment and full disposal of the property, subject to the limitations imposed by the social function of land. Land areas requested and possessed by those occupants would be awarded through a special, expedited process, with the protection of the State and in accordance with existing constitutional and legal provisions. The National Land Administration Authority (Autoridad Nacional de Administración de Tierras) and the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas) would conduct all award proceedings under that process.

To request an award of a lot as private property, applicants must continue living in the former Chiriquí Land Company homes and have possessed the property for a minimum of 5 years. Natural or legal persons possessing land covered by the proposal would have to submit their applications within the first 2 years after promulgation. The text thus connects the application to continued residence in the former homes, the period of possession and the deadline for starting the process.

Before transferring the land, the draft bill provides for a consultation and an inventory of the homes. The National Land Administration Authority and the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Ministerio de Economía Y Finanzas) would transfer the land free of charge, within a maximum of 2 years following the application, to persons who have completed the relevant titling procedures. The Executive Branch would issue regulations for the proposed law, which would take effect upon promulgation.

The public bodies involved in the proposed process are the National Land Administration Authority, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Executive Branch. Given its subject matter, the draft bill could be relevant to or affect residents of former banana sector housing, applicants for land awards, the real estate sector and activities concerning land possession and titling in provincia de Chiriquí.