Lands Commission engages stakeholders on drafting of Legislative Instrument for land act

In recognition of the need to create the conditions necessary for the full achievement of the objectives of the Land Act 2020, which has been talked up as the ‘messiah for Ghana’s land administration system’, the Lands Commission has conveyed a forum for broader and extensive consultations and discussions that will birth a Legislative Instrument which will facilitate the effective functionalization of the Act.

As the Lands Commission ramps up efforts to purify Ghana’s land sector by implementing to the latter, the 2020 Land Act, the experience and knowledge of policy-makers and industry players in Ghana’s land sector, traditional authorities, representatives from Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority, the Ghana Police, Regional Cordinating Councils, Academia, the Judiciary, and other land owing groups and practitioners are tapped at a two-day stakeholder engagement forum being held in Tamale, Northern Regional capital.

Expectations are rife the two-day conference which has the participation of all those who matter in Ghana’s land sector will birth brilliant and transformational ideas that will shape the drafting of the Legislative Instrument for the 2020 Land Act.

Addressing the gathering at the opening day of the forum on Wednesday, August 23, 2022, the Technical Director, of Lands, at the Lands Ministry, Surv Maxwell Adu Nsafoah, who read a speech on behalf of the Sector Minister, said that the importance of a smooth land administration system relative to the socio-economic development of the country cannot be overemphasized.

He exhorted the minds of the distinguished gathering to the task ahead, urging them to make meaningful and impactful contributions that when inculcated in the Legislative Instrument will ultimately result in positive outcomes.

Sur. Nsafoah bemoaned the inability of previous acts to effectively deal with and forestall the challenges in the lands sector. He asserts that the lacunas in those acts which have now been replaced by the Land Act 2020 gave room for the perpetuation of illegalities in the lands sector.

Surv.Cynthia Odametey, Head of Policy Planning and Research Unit at the Lands Commission, explained to participants the purpose of the gathering which set the tone for the discussions. She indicated that the Act either affects, benefits or alters the way a particular stakeholder group deals with land and urged them all to give their best because they matter in the conversation."This engagement should benefit all of us", she stated.

She revealed that some sections of the Act are not too clear on how it should be enforced, whereas other sections were clear on its implementation.The meeting is expected to come out with clear guidelines and Regulations for the implementation of the Act.

She noted that gathering inputs at this stage is critical with the assistance of the two Consultants, Lawyer Kofi Owusu-Poku and Lawyer Henry Tackie.

Lawyer Alhaji Dubik Mahama, Chairman of the Northern Regional Lands Commission appealed to the participants that they have a lifetime opportunity to ink their names in the history of Ghana by helping purge the land sector of its excesses and that their contributions will determine the cogency and soundness of the Legislative Instrument.

He therefore beseeched them to research on the various thematic areas designated to them and make noteworthy input to the discussions that will be held today, August, 24, 2023 because the Act has the the power to change the narrative in the Land Market if good LI's are drafted.

The participants were put into various focus group discussions to deliberate on some thematic areas such as;

Regulations for Customary Land Management

Regulations for State Land

Regulations for Land Valuation

Regulations for Survey

Land Registration Regulations.

The stakeholder engagement has been divided into five Zonal Sectors which has taken off with Zone A held in Tamale comprising Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah and North East regions.

The other zonal Sectors include;

B. Bono East, Bono & Ahafo

Venue : Sunyani

C. Western North, Western & Ashanti

Venue: Kumasi

D. Eastern, Central, Greater Acera, Oti & Volta

Venue: Accra

E. Institutions

Venue: Accra

The Land Act working Group chaired by the Greater Accra Regional Lands Officer, Surv.Timothy Anyidoho Esq, is working assiduously to ensure that all key stakeholders are consulted across the entire country to have rich and meaningful inputs into the drafting of the Legislative Instruments.