Academy of Sciences transferred 116 hectares of land in Kyiv to developers, leaving scientists without housing – audit
13 November 13:28
The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) has transferred 116 hectares of state land in Kyiv, which is one of the most valuable for construction, to private developers. This conclusion was presented by the State Audit Service of Ukraine (State Audit Service), which conducted an audit of the Academy’s activities, reports Komersant ukrainskyi
According to the State Audit Service, the National Academy of Sciences is one of the largest owners of state real estate and land. As of the end of 2023, the Academy had 6893 real estate objects on its balance sheet, including 458 land plots with a total residual value of UAH 73.2 billion.
However, instead of using these resources for scientific development, the Academy has been transferring state land to private developers for more than 20 years, entering into investment agreements to obtain housing and premises for scientists. In total, since the early 2000s, the NAS has concluded 44 investment agreements, of which 20 agreements have been concluded in the last four years (2020-2023). As a result of these agreements, private investors have received more than 130 hectares of land, of which 116 hectares are in Kyiv.
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The first agreements provided for the transfer of at least 10% of the area of new buildings to the Academy for the housing needs of scientists. However, this percentage has decreased over time: in 2023, under separate agreements, the Academy receives only 2% of the area. Thus, according to the State Audit Service, state land is actually transferred to private entities for meager compensation, which does not solve the issue of housing for scientists.
The audit data show that over the past four years, the Academy’s housing stock has been replenished by only 107 apartments, while almost 650 employees are on the waiting list for official housing. One example of unfulfilled promises is the Kryshtalevi Dzherela residential complex in Kyiv, where the NAS was supposed to receive 7676.66 square meters of housing (about 152 apartments), but 16 years after the contract was signed, the property has not yet been transferred to the Academy.
