Chief Director calls for sustenance in land administration
The Chief Director of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Prof. Kofi Baneong-Yakubo, has called on the Project Coordinating Unit and implementing agencies of the Second Ghana Land Administration Project (LAP-2) to sustain and improve upon the modest achievements chalked by the first phase of the Project (LAP-1).
He said an efficient, fair and transparent land tenure system was key to the development of the country and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources expects implementers of the Project to be conscious at all times of the enormous responsibility placed on their shoulders.
Prof. Baneong-Yakubo made the call at a meeting of the National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) of (LAP-2) in Accra which approved the 2013 Annual Work Plan and Budget for the Project under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
He said under the first phase of the Project which ended in 2011, over 6300 back log of land cases in the courts were cleared in addition to the establishment of 36 customary land secretariats throughout the country as well as the revaluation of private and public properties in 12 pilot districts involving 45,532 properties.
Prof Baneong-Yakubo said the turnaround time for deed registration was reduced from seven to one month while that of title registration was reduced from over 36 months to less than 3 months.
Harmonization of the land policy and regulatory framework was given priority attention including the review of policies, laws and regulations for an effective and efficient land management.
Mr. Bright Oduro , the Chief Director of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and member of the National Project Steering Committee, urged the Project Coordinating Unit and the Implementers of the Project to work together as a team and ensure that the $72 million earmarked for the Project is put to proper use for the attainment of the Development Objectives to the benefit of the people of Ghana.
Mrs. Gladys Ghartey, Head of the World Bank Desk at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, said the Ghana Land Administration Project was the first and only World Bank supported Project dedicated solely to land administration in Africa.
This has placed an onerous responsibility not only on the implementers but also the government and the Bank to ensure its success aimed ultimately at poverty reduction.
The second phase of the Land Administration Project was launched in September 2011 as a follow up to the first phase which was launched in 2003. It is funded by the World Bank, the government of Ghana and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources as the supervising Ministry.
Source: GNA