When the Greek economic crisis erupted, some of the country’s partners asked: “You’re blaming Europe for not having a cadaster?” Greece has paid its dues for the crisis – and then some – but certain “peculiarities” have not been dealt with.
These include the shaky state of the legal system and the labyrinth of red tape involved in anything to do with real estate and property development. The legislation governing the latter is riddled with loopholes – and loopholes give room for rackets to flourish.
As long as this situation persists – as long as the pending urban and spatial zoning plans remain unresolved and we rely on courts to regulate construction after the fact – the construction sector will remain, in addition to being an “engine” of growth, a major breeding ground for corruption.
