LDP panel calls for permit system for key land acquisitions
In the draft, the team also pushed for a ban on individuals working for foreign governments from acquiring land deemed critical to national security.
A draft proposal from a project team within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has been compiled, advocating for a permit system governing the acquisition of land near facilities deemed critical for national security. This proposal also urges the government to prevent individuals working for foreign governments from purchasing such land.
The current critical land survey law primarily focuses on regulating the utilization of land surrounding significant facilities, rather than outright prohibiting land acquisition. However, the team from the party's Headquarters for Foreign Nationals Policy contends that the existing law may not be equipped to address the evolving security landscape.
Among the specified important facilities outlined in the law, the team recommends introducing a permit system for land purchases near facilities deemed vulnerable to drone attacks, necessitating heightened protection. Under this proposed system, potential land buyers of any nationality would be subject to thorough screenings. Moreover, the draft urges the government not to permit the transfer of land ownership to individuals obligated to cooperate with foreign governments, either through contractual or foreign legal obligations, considering these individuals as potential security threats.
The proposal also advises the government to expand the list of critical facilities under the law to include the Imperial Palace, the national parliament building, and the Prime Minister's Office, all situated in central Tokyo, in addition to Self-Defense Forces facilities and U.S. military bases in Japan.
Furthermore, the project team suggests submitting a bill to establish a new law for nationwide groundwater monitoring and a bill to revise the national land use planning law to enhance information gathering on land use to the government's ordinary parliamentary session next year. Additionally, the proposal calls for tax measures aimed at curbing speculative real estate transactions, exacerbated by the steep rise in condominium prices.
The government intends to submit a bill revising the critical land survey law to an extraordinary parliamentary session set to commence on October 5th.
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