Former minister slams negative perception of Lands Department

The National National

Changing the negative perception of the Department of Lands and Physical Planning is the biggest challenge for the incoming regime, outgoing Minister for Lands and Physical Planning Benny Allan says.
Allan told his successor Justin Tkatchenko at the hand over of the ministry yesterday that the department was not corrupt as most people claim.
“We moved over here (present office) in 2013. Now the officers have changed their mindset and improved performance and commitment is there.
“And I don’t like to hear people saying that this department is corrupt, enough of that negativity about this department.
“The officers are here ready to assist you, please work with them and they will work with you.”
Allan said the challenges that he had faced over the last five years were regarding corruption and the negative image of the department.
“I must tell you that this department is not corrupt. There is no such thing as land grabbing, you will appreciate that all processes start with NCD Physical Planning.
“When we talk about land grabbing, public parks and recreational areas and so forth, the process starts with the physical planning board and that’s where we have to tidy up.”
The department undertook three key priority projects: land access, legislative review and the Leap programme (electronic land titles project) in the last three years.
“I know you will continue with that.  We need to get the Leap project working so that it will address the duplication of titles.”
Allan said in terms of land access, 3 per cent land under the State has run out especially in NCD so the department was going through the customary landowners promoting incorporated land group (ILG) customary land registration.
“We need to work with the customary landowners and increase the land access to the country, give ownership to the landowners and we are assisting them to form ILGs and get customary land titles.
“Consultation and legal advice is very important because this department has the highest number of court cases among government departments and we try to minimise that and cut down unnecessary mistakes,” Allan said.