Government Welcomes Private Sector Participation in Land Administration Reforms – Vice President Bawumia
Government is calling on the private sector to take an active part
in the ongoing reforms in the administration of Ghana’s lands in order
to make the process more efficient and effective.
Unlike in the
past, where Government was solely in charge of land administration in
Ghana, the Nana Akufo-Addo government envisions a public-private
partnership, with both parties contributing their quota to the entire
process.
The Vice President of the Republic, H. E. Dr Mahamudu
Bawumia, extended the invitation when he gave the Keynote Address at a
Market Sounding Event towards Private Sector Participation in the next
phase of Ghana’s land administration reforms in Accra on Monday 30th
April, 2018.
The Market Sounding is the latest of a series of
fora spearheaded by Vice President Bawumia to craft and implement
reforms in Ghana’s chaotic land administration regime.
“Government is looking at a new paradigm to improve our land
administration system. Government is creating space for the Private
Sector to be involved in land administration service delivery. This is
not merely because of an allegiance to a political philosophy, but
because of our genuine belief that the Private Sector will add
considerable value to our land administration reform processes.
“As stakeholders in the arena of land administration, you must be aware
that land is an asset of considerable value. Therefore, creating the
opportunity for private capital, technology and expertise to be injected
offers a unique business opportunity. I entreat you to unleash your
innovative and creative abilities so that you can take advantage of this
window of opportunity,” Dr Bawumia urged.
Despite the central
role of land administration to economic development, the state of land
administration in Ghana leaves much to be desired, despite several
attempts including 15 years of the Land Administration project.
Issues of manual systems of operation, unreliable records, significant
delays in procuring land services, and multiple land allocation often
result in protracted and expensive disputes and the proliferation of
land guards, and fraud.
But land, Vice President Bawumia
indicated, “is the single most valuable asset in any economy because the
bulk of wealth of every nation is locked up in real estate. Therefore,
how we strategize to unleash the inherent capital embedded in land has
profound implications in our quest to expedite economic development and
create shared prosperity for all.”
Dr Bawumia indicated that
government believes the private sector is better placed to provide the
needed cutting edge technology, equipment and technical expertise to
drive the digitization and automation agenda, as well as sound
leadership and managerial competence grounded in sound corporate
governance principles and ethics for an improved turnaround time at the
Lands Commission and by extension, land administration in Ghana.
On its part, Government is concentrating its efforts in two core areas:
Digitization of Land Records, Automation of Business Processes and
Decentralization of the Lands Commission; and Infrastructure for Spatial
Data and Spatial Data Management which includes the establishment and
maintenance of Continuous Operating Reference Stations (CORS), according
to Vice President Bawumia.
“You are here today because you have
the technology, the technical and managerial expertise and hopefully,
the capital which will enable you to partner Government as we move to
transform our land administration.
“Bring your technology,
expertise and capital to invest. Government policies will protect your
investments and returns” H.E Dr Bawumia assured.
In brief
remarks, Hon John Peter Amewu, Minister for Lands and Natural,
underscored that land reform was an integral part of President
Akufo-Addo’s vision of a Ghana Beyond Aid, and urged participants to
make a concerted effort to make the acquisition and use of land
hassle-free and fulfil the quest to “deliver land titles in 30 days.”
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