MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. More than 4,000 people received hectares in the Arctic, the Corporation for Development of the Far East and Arctic's press service said.

"As of today, more than 4,000 people have received for free land plots under the Arctic Hectare program and have been implementing their plants," the press service quoted the Corporation's head of the Hectare project's implementation department, Yulia Tishchenko as saying.

As a rule, she said, the plots will be used to build houses, or to develop various businesses, including in tourism.

The official pointed to an important aspect of the 'hectare legislation,' which allows organizing the so-called 'technical agglomerations' - unions of 20 plus plots, if they are located in one settlement, or not further than 20 km from it. Over the program's 18 months, the participants have organized 33 agglomerations of the kind - they unite almost 2,000 owners.

"The biggest task we are facing now is to open access to new land plots and to expand incentives for the key businesses," she continued. "The (Arctic) regions have been adjusting laws to expand the zones. <…> This year, the Nenets Autonomous Region has adopted such a law, and another similar law undergoes formalities in Karelia."

Under the "Far Eastern Hectare" federal program in the Russian Arctic zone, applicants may receive for free land plots of up to 1 hectare to develop any business. Within the first year, the new owners need to decide how they will be using the land, and in three years - to declare the use. After five years, an owner may formalize either the property rights or rent.