Humanitarian demining: January 2024 results
June 20, 2024
The programme for compensating the cost of demining agricultural land is already working. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine launched the procedure for compensating the cost of demining agricultural land, updating the Procedure for the Use of Funds Provided in the State Budget for Compensation of Humanitarian Demining Costs for Agricultural Land. The corresponding document was adopted on 17 May.
The amendments to the resolution provide for compensation both for farmers whose lands have already been demined by certified mine action operators in the period from 24 February 2022 to 15 April 2024, and for farmers who are only planning to begin demining their own agricultural plots or on which they work as tenants. 3 billion hryvnias have been allocated for these needs in the 2024 budget. The state will compensate 80% of the demining cost.
According to the resolution, the right to compensation for demining agricultural land is available to those agricultural producers whose lands are located in de-occupied territory outside the combat zone. The fact of contamination of such plots with explosive ordnance must be confirmed by the Mine Action Centre based on the results of a non-technical survey conducted by a certified mine action operator.
Farmers whose lands were cleared by certified operators in the period from the beginning of the full-scale invasion to 15 April 2024 can already submit applications for compensation of demining costs. To do this, they need to fill out an Application for Compensation and send it to the email address (info@uachd.gov.ua) of the Centre for Humanitarian Demining, attaching copies of documents confirming the fact of demining: a contract for the provision of demining services, an act of services rendered, and a document confirming payment for the services provided. The Centre for Humanitarian Demining verifies the documents, forms a list of farmers who meet the requirements, and sends the documents for consideration by the Commission at the Ministry of Economy, which makes the final decision.
Those farmers who are only planning to demine the lands on which they work can submit applications and supporting documents for compensation through the State Agrarian Register. The cost of demining will be determined through open bidding in the Prozorro system.
Compensation will be provided only once per one contaminated plot.
Farmers against whom Ukraine has imposed sanctions or whose ultimate beneficial owners are citizens of the aggressor country will not be eligible for compensation. Farmers who are in the process of liquidation or bankruptcy, as well as those with tax debts, will also not be able to receive compensation.
The adoption of the resolution will create favourable conditions for supporting agricultural production and restoring agricultural production on contaminated/potentially contaminated agricultural land plots, particularly in territories where hostilities have ended and in de-occupied territories.
