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.”
