We’ll need $250m to digitize our operations – Lands Commission

The Lands Commission will need a minimum of US$ 250 million to completely digitize the institution. According to the Chief Executive, Sulemana Mahama the huge limitation with budget flows is hindering the commission from carrying out any major development.

Speaking to Citi News at a capacity building workshop held in the Central Region, under the theme “enhancing business performance to support national development agenda,” Mr. Mahama indicated that the commission is looking for private capital to digitize all records of the commission.

“There is a very huge limitation with regards to budget flows and even when you have gotten funds, it is so limited for you to introduce the type of technology you want. It was only last year that clear indication was given that we are going to go through this in a massive way. Looking at the total conversion to digital environment and the capital flow, we need not less than a minimum of two hundred and fifty million dollars to be able to do this and that cannot be provided by our budget.”

He also said that Ghana has only 10% of the total country mapped which causes delays in land title acquisition.

Mr. Sulemana Mahama noted that the multiplicity of clans and families who claim ownership of land especially in the Greater Accra Region also contributes to the delay in registration of land.

“One was expecting that when the title registration process started in 1988, all the big land regimes in the Greater Accra Region would have been captured. This is to look at all those who have paramount interest like the allodia interest which is in the stool, clans and families before they start passing the individual ones but this was not done.”

The chairman of the Commission, Stephen Ayensu Ntim explained that various steps had been put in place to help the commission thrive.

According to him, the introduction of the Ghana Enterprises Land Information System which is a complete a digital system is to cut delays in the land administration process.

“The digital system, is one of the key interventions designed to reduce the turnaround time, bureaucracies and corruption in the system,” the chairman said.

He added that the commission will not relent on its efforts to achieve its vision of becoming a Centre of excellence for land service delivery.

The chairman also called for the empowerment of senior management of the commission to take up challenges.

“This workshop is expected to impart knowledge and skill to participants for improved performance to achieve the objective of the Lands Commission. The commission is poised to play its part in the achievement of the National Development Agenda which is Ghana Beyond Aid,” Stephen Ntim added.

According to him, the government’s objective in Ghana’s land administration policy reform is to ensure that land serves as a catalyst for socio-economic development adding that the government will continue to support the ongoing land reforms.

“The decentralization program of the commission is committed to decentralize its operations, digitize its records and enhance the accuracy of its registered deeds and land certificate,” the chairman said.