The Lagos State Government has announced a 40% discount on planning permit fees for Lagosians to encourage property owners to comply with building regulations.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, announced this during a press briefing.
Olumide noted that the initiative is to encourage property owners in the state to do the right thing by ensuring their properties pass all official procedures.
He also noted that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has granted a 90-day amnesty period to owners/developers of existing property to regularise their property and help in promoting a sustainable physical environment.
Olumide disclosed that the amnesty initiative would allow owners and developers of existing buildings to obtain planning permits without the payment of statutory penal fees within the amnesty window from May 2 to July 30, 2024, with a 5% discount applicable to payments completed within 10 working days of the bill’s issuance.
He described the incentives as a relief measure to mitigate the effects of the current economic hardship being experienced in the country.
The commissioner added that applicants are expected to submit all relevant documents for assessment through the LASPPPA Head Office and District Offices in the 57 local government areas and local council development areas.
He also noted that the state government has given a 40 per cent rebate in planning permits for civil servants and also the Amnesty Window of three months.
“For emphasis, the window opens from May 2nd to July 30th, 2024, when the waiver on penalty payments on existing developments shall subsist,” Olumide said.
The Commissioner, while appreciating the Governor’s gesture, warned that non-compliance would draw the wrath of the government, which is determined to do good for the largest number of Lagosians.
He stated that the administration would not compromise the safety of every individual in the state.
“Sanwo-Olu has charged every officer under this responsibility to take the life of every Lagosian as important as theirs and be steadfast in discharging their duties to ensure no further collapse of buildings, neither should there be the loss of any life. With this rebate and after the 90-Day Amnesty, any property that falls on the wrong side of physical planning laws shall face the consequences squarely,” he stressed.
The Commissioner also noted some of the activities embarked upon by the Office of Physical Planning, including the over 74% rate in the grant of planning permits in the last year and the preparation and review of master plans and model city plans such as the Lagos Island Model City Plan and Alimosho Model City Plan.
Others are the preparation of nine action area plans, nine development guide plans, and the delivery of the right of way for 16 public infrastructure projects in the state.