By Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Accra, April 2, GNA – The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, Tuesday inaugurated the Greater Accra Regional Lands Office complex to provide a suitable working environment for the staff.
The edifice comprised spacious office spaces, an auditorium and conference rooms, which would serve as a hub for land transactions and enhance efficiency in service delivery.
The state-of-the-art facility was funded with the Commission’s Internally- Generated Funds (IGF) and would accommodate the four Divisions: Survey and Mapping, Land Registration, Land Valuation, and Public and Vested Land Management.
Speaking at the commissioning of the office complex in Accra, Mr Jinapor said land was the cornerstone of the country’s socio-economic development; therefore, the office complex would enhance integration of services in transactions and improve staff productivity.
“Today marks a very important step in our quest to build an effective, transparent, responsive and orderly land administration, which is steeped in integrity,” he said.
“I commend the leadership of the Lands Commission and the Greater Accra Regional Office for putting up this edifice to serve the land needs of the people of our capital city, Accra.”
He highlighted the importance of land to the country’s socio-economic development, noting that all human activities revolved around it.
“Land is the fulcrum to the success of all sectors of the economy such as agriculture, mining, security, manufacturing, trade, education, transportation, infrastructure, energy, and health, among others.”
Mr Jinapor referenced data from the Ghana Statistical Service, which estimates that some 90 per cent of the country’s population derived their livelihoods directly or indirectly from land.
He, therefore, underscored the need for an effective land administration to drive the nation’s progress and prosperity.
“The adverse consequences of ineffective, fraudulent and weak land administration is very damning,” he said.
“It is, therefore, not surprising that article 258 of our national Constitution establishes the Lands Commission to, among others, manage public lands, ensure effective registration of land, and formulate national policies for the administration and use of land.”
To ensure efficient administration, Mr Jinapor called for the need to equip and empower the Regional Lands Commission to perform their constitutional functions.
It was imperative to adapt and enhance the capabilities of the Commission to meet the demands of the modern era, he added.
“That is why under the able leadership of President Akufo-Addo, we have been championing reforms in land administration with the view of transforming the Lands Commission into a modern, efficient, and customer-centric institution capable of meeting the diverse needs of our society.”
At the heart of those reforms was the decentralisation of land administration, including the establishment of six fully digitised offices for the six new regions, and the roll out of satellite Client Service Access Units (CSAU) in all regional offices to bring services closer to the doorsteps of the public.
The facility, he said, was part of several projects being undertaken by the Commission to provide a conducive work environment for the staff and those who accessed its services.
“We are, also, implementing our Urban Redevelopment Scheme, under which 504 two-bedroom self-contained housing units, with a school complex, a clinic and a recreational area, had been constructed for the Ghana Police Service.”
Office complexes have also been constructed for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the Ghana Airport Company Limited and the Ghana Meteorological Agency.
That, he said, would pave the way for the redevelopment of the 80-acres of land between Stanbic Heights and the Ministry of Defence.
In addition to those developments, Mr Jinapor said the Government was pursuing an aggressive digitisation agenda, to digitalise the records of the Commission to promote a robust land administration that ensures peace, security, and economic growth.
Already, the Commission had successfully migrated some of its operations into the digital environment and rolled out the Enterprise Land Information System (ELIS), which offered some select services fully online.
“Today, a search in the Commission’s records can be conducted from anywhere in the world, and at any time of the day,” Mr Jinapor said.
“The introduction of the Electronic Property Mass Appraisal System (EPMAS) had facilitated the revaluation of properties in several Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and, thus, boosting revenue drive.”
“Without a doubt, the Greater Accra Region holds a special place in land administration in our country. I am told it is the busiest Regional Office of the Commission.”
“It is, therefore, imperative that we provide a befitting office space that ensures the majority of our people who access our services get the best of service delivery.”
GNA