Creating state committees to recover public real estate properties – New Algeria

The Minister of the Interior, Local Governments and Transport, Saeed Saeed, spoke about the establishment of state committees to follow up on the management and recovery of real estate properties belonging to local communities, confirming the existence of cases being pursued before judicial authorities to recover public real estate, with public authorities established as a party in a number of judicial files related to the protection of public money.

The Minister confirmed in a written response dated December 17th to a question by the representative of the National People’s Assembly, Rabah Jeddou, to which Algeria Al-Jadeed was informed, that the process of municipalities recovering their real estate properties and protecting public money represents one of the basic pillars of the public interest, and comes at the heart of efforts to establish transparency in the management of public property, indicating that the public authorities place the protection of public money and the recovery of public real estate among their permanent priorities..

Saeed Saeed stated that the legal framework regulating the work of municipalities enshrines their right to defend their property, as the provisions of Law No. 11-10 of June 22, 2011 relating to the municipality, as amended and supplemented, stipulate that the municipality has a legal personality, which gives it the ability to litigate in its name and for its account in all disputes related to its real estate properties..

He said that his departments continuously follow up on all judicial cases and disputes in which municipalities are a party, noting that they “intervene when necessary and in accordance with their tasks, to accompany municipalities before the judicial authorities, especially during the implementation phase of judgments, by appointing judicial bailiffs to monitor on the ground the processes of recovering real estate properties in question.”.

In this context, the Minister of the Interior announced “the creation of state committees charged with following up on the management of the properties of local groups included in the general list of properties belonging to national properties, in addition to implementing periodic inspection missions by the Ministry’s General Inspectorate, with the aim of ensuring respect for applicable laws and regulations, and strengthening oversight mechanisms for the management of local public properties.”

There are currently issues being followed up directly by the ministry’s interests related to the recovery of real estate properties of great importance for the benefit of some municipalities,” he said, confirming the settlement of his interests for a number of properties and being included in the real estate reserves of its affiliated municipalities, which were allocated to the completion of public projects directed to serve local development..

The Minister also touched on Law No. 23-18 of November 28, 2023, relating to the protection and preservation of state lands, which approved – according to him – legal mechanisms aimed at protecting state lands from illegal seizure, and controlling the rules applied to buildings and facilities erected illegally on state lands, in addition to specifying the penalties prescribed in cases of infringement..

He stressed that local authorities are constantly and continuously working to accompany municipalities in implementing these legal provisions, and are also established as a party in many cases raised at the level of judicial authorities, ensuring the protection of public property and enhancing the preservation of public funds.

Fouad Q