Owners of residences built on government lands granted by leases or agricultural rent are to be offered the opportunity to regularise the title of the land, leading to their recognition as homeowners, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri said.

The scheme was being launched as a pilot project at Tas-Salvatur area in Rabat but will eventually be extended to other areas such as Tal-Landrijiet, Baħrija, and Dingli, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri said.

The minister said that, in this way, the government is addressing past problems.

He said that around 50 years ago, many of these areas were classified as rural settlements in the local authority’s land plans.

This, together with the planning permits, led to residences having the necessary Planning Authority permits but not the correct title, rendering the assets worthless.

Schembri said that, over time, it has become more evident that the only way to avoid the possibility of hundreds of families losing their homes is to launch a scheme designed to regularise these properties, through the granting of valid titles, as permitted by law.

The scheme, he said, will not regularise any unauthorised buildings in outside development areas or allow new permits to be issued.

For an application to be eligible, the building has to serve as the owner’s residence and have the necessary PA permits.

Schembri said that, from now on, a residential lease is being offered for residences built on government leased land. Those recognised as lessees by this scheme will have their temporary lease converted into a perpetual one in line with the lease rates as published in the Government Gazette.

Once a perpetual lease is granted, it has to be redeemed within 15 years from the date of the contract, so that a free and open title can finally be obtained. Schembri said that penalties will be reasonable to incentivise the public to regularise their situation.

“The aim is that of offering a fair but affordable deal for all these families,” he said.