Programme’s second phase to be enforced next year

The National National

THE Lands and Physical Planning Department will work with state agencies to implement the National Land Development Programme Phase 2 next year.
Lands and Physical Planning Minister John Rosso speaking at the programme’s launching on Friday said the implementation of land reforms would include land administration, customary land development and land dispute settlement.
Rosso said the government endorsed the establishment of a Land Reform Committee (LRC) and a programme management unit (PMU) to administer the implementation.
He said the LRC and PMU would comprise officers from the Lands and Physical Planning, Justice and Attorney-General, National Planning and Monitoring, and Treasury departments, National Research Institute and other relevant agencies.
Ross said the key outcomes of the reform programme would include:

  • Establishment and operationalisation of Customary Land Development agency;
  • review of exiting legislations dealing with customary land;
  • strengthening of land court system;
  • reforming of exiting agencies dealing with customary land; and,
  • Ensuring the bankability of the customary land titles.

Rosso highlighted the other reform initiatives being undertaken by the department which included title security.
“With assistance from the Australian government, through the Foreign Affairs Department, the Lands Department is now working on a new look state lease title with security features to avoid duplication of titles which has been an ongoing concern for many years,” he said.
Rosso said all records were being scanned so that records would be stored electronically which would solve the problem of missing files.
“The Lands Department’s automated system will be used in 2020 beginning with the title dealings where transfer and mortgage registrations will be electronically processed.
“Also the billing and receipting using the automated system will commence next year and this will significantly increase the revenue that will be generated by the department,” he said.