Mosul municipality says ready to issue building permits once formal notices arrive

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Mosul municipality is prepared to begin issuing building permits on land covered by construction bans under the city's master plan once it receives formal notices from provincial authorities, Mayor Mohammed al-Aga said. Al-Aga said officials are awaiting the official correspondence to authorize the removal of an earthen berm left behind by ISIS in the Qiz Fakra and Jaliwihan areas. He noted that both neighborhoods fall within the city's master plan and that landowners there face no legal obstacle to construction. Once land registry and infrastructure plans are reviewed, permits will be issued to property owners without delay, according to the mayor. He added that the districts of Kuvsiyat, Abbasiya and Kindi fall outside the municipality's jurisdiction and are administered by other local authorities. The move follows a vote by the Mosul Provincial Council on Tuesday on commission recommendations regarding land previously restricted from construction. The file had blocked thousands of families from legally using their plots for years on security grounds.