United front to fight for customary land issues

By HELEN TARAWA
LANDS and Physical Planning Minister Justin Tkatchenko said customary landowners and stakeholders have agreed to work together to address customary land issues.
Tkatchenko told The National that 13 resolutions had been passed out of the stakeholder workshops conducted.
“We have just passed 13 resolutions to turn customary titles into bankable titles for customary landowners to use to attract investors.
“This is about getting the resolutions passed and approved by everybody.
“Talking to the stakeholders and landowners together is something that has never been achieved before.”
He said the customary landowner’s representatives and stakeholder’s representatives have all agreed to the issues they were currently facing when it comes to customary land in our country.
“We will use those resolutions and work out the mechanics and find resolutions to implement to make customary land bankable.”
Tkatchenko said there is a process to turn customary land into a state land and this would be the focus now.
“It’s been a very difficult issue for many years trying to transform a customary land title into a bankable state lease,” he said.
“The mechanisms and laws and regulations need to now be changed and put in place to ensure investors can feel confident that the land they are investing in is accepted by the bank for security.
“Basically it’s about security. At the end of the day the bank wants customary land to be secure so that the investors can invest.”