According to the president, current legislation allows land to be provided for use for up to 50 years. As a result, plots were previously provided among other periods, for 49 years.

Sadyr Japarov said an audit showed that some plots obtained for 49 years had remained undeveloped for years. At the same time, the rights to use the land were transferred to other people.

If you take land for 49 years, build on it. If you cannot build, return it to the state. Do not sell it to someone else and make money out of thin air. Sadyr Japarov

If you take land for 49 years, build on it. If you cannot build, return it to the state. Do not sell it to someone else and make money out of thin air.

He stressed that such plots were resold not by foreigners but by Kyrgyz citizens. According to him, some Kyrgyzstanis leased land for 49 years and then resold the right to use it through what is known as a «blue book.»

The president added that the audit also uncovered cases in which part of the land belonging to local governments was not reflected in official records. For example, when there were actually 1,000 hectares, documents might list only 900 hectares. The remaining 100 hectares, according to Sadyr Japarov, remained unaccounted for or were transferred for use.

An inventory of land is currently underway, including with the use of satellite data. According to the president, it is expected to be completed by the end of this year or by mid-2027.

The head of state said the audit revealed the problem of plots that had been transferred from one owner to another for years without being developed.

As a result, the government is proposing to change the procedure for allocating land to investors. If, for example, an investor promises to build a plant, factory, logistics center or five-star hotel, the plot would initially be provided for 10 years.

If the investor begins construction and fulfills commitments during that period, the land-use term could be extended — first to 25 years and then to 49 years.

«The state should not wait. People are demanding: improve our lives, create jobs so that we do not have to leave the country,» Sadyr Japarov said.

According to him, the implementation of such projects creates jobs for the state, generates tax revenues and brings income from tourists. Taxes are also collected when construction materials and other goods needed for construction are purchased.

«While they are building, the state is already benefiting. Then it receives taxes as well. After 49 years, the investor will leave it behind and go — he will not be able to take what he has built with him,» the president said.

Amid discussions over amendments to Kyrgyzstan’s Land Code, concerns have grown over the possibility of land being transferred to foreign investors, including Chinese companies. However, the possibility of long-term land leases is not new: current legislation allows plots to be provided for use for up to 49 years. The proposed changes do not abolish this term but introduce a phased approach to land allocation: initially for 10 years, followed by extensions to 25 and ultimately 49 years if the investor fulfills the stipulated conditions.