Laws to test land dealings

By HELEN TARAWA
The enforcement of laws is the biggest challenge to addressing special agriculture business lease (SABL) issues without having officers on the ground, Minister for Lands and Physical Planning Justin Tkatchenko, pictured, says.
He told The National that the high level SABL committee was going through individual files related to agricultural lease.
The committee is chaired by Director Customary Land Andy Malo and the members include Constitutional Law and Reform Commission Secretary Dr Eric Kwa, State-Solicitor Daniel Rolpagarea and National Research Institute Director Dr Osborne Sanida.
“The committee has had regular meetings and with half of the files almost completed, they are getting the situation in order,” Tkatchenko said.
“The difficulty here is that we are not on the ground enforcing the laws and regulations of Lands Department in the different provinces.
“That’s where we are lacking in implemepting the laws on the ground.”
Tkatchenko said those who do not go by the laws would be dealt with severely.
“We can’t have people doing their own things and others abiding by the laws of this land,” the minister said.
“There’s one law in this country and they must be abide by that.”
Tkatchenko said 60 SABL files were still missing and the department only had 40 in its possession.
The search for those files continues.
Meanwhile, the department already had systems and acts in place to cater for illegal land sales and implement the land reform policy, Tkatchenko said.
“Most of these processes to secure illegal land-grabbing are already in place,” he said.
“The problem is that it has not been enacted or forcefully used to protect public and individuals from land grabbing in our city and in our country.
“It’s my job to ensure and direct lands department staff to follow the correct procedures.
“In the past we have seen lots of duplicate titles, illegal land-grabbing left, right and centre.”
Tkatchenko said it’s his job to ensure that they reform and clean up the department.
“If there are new ideas to improve our work, they can come and give to the secretary and stress their ideas and ways of doing things,” he said.