(Ecofin Agency) - Chief Executive Officer of the Tunisian land office Béchir Kthiri airing on Express FM on November 15 announced that the State has recovered 68,000 ha of agricultural lands.

The move is part of an operation led by the government to recover lands that belong to the State. “The Tunisian State has recovered a total of 128 plots, 68,000 hectares overall,” he said adding that his office would muster all the efforts necessary to recover the public land which was taken through illegal means, law suits included.

“The ministry of agriculture and the ministry of State domains and Land Affairs will first initiate a law suit against all those who illegally own public lands, then they will send a warning to these people in a period of 3 to 6 months; this period is to allow the individual warned to become a legal owner the land he holds. If he fails to do so, the Land Office will evict him using the previously mentioned ministries,” he said.

Recovered lands will be leased to investors for valorization sake.

Souha Touré