Addis Ababa — Parliament discussed a draft proclamation last week providing that claims by persons for the restitution of their properties nationalized by the former government in violation of the relevant proclamations would be barred unless they were lodged within three months of the enactment of the proclamation.

It was pointed out in the draft proclamation that the new law was necessitated by the need to impose a time limit to lodge complaints, pursuant to Proclamation Number 110/1994, regarding properties confiscated and to return to government ownership property claimed by persons with phoney or inadequate documents.

The proclamation authorizes the PRIVATIZATION and Public Enterprises Supervising Agency to carry out this task.

When the draft proclamation is ratified, inappropriately returned properties will be returned to state ownership. If a building had been pulled down and another was constructed in its place, an estimated value of the demolished building and lease of the land shall be paid to the government.

It was stated in the draft that anyone involved in the act of securing the restitution of his property using fake documents will be prosecuted and, if convicted, will have to pay damages to the government in addition to facing criminal punishment.