By Godwill Arthur-Mensah, GNA
Accra, Oct. 27, GNA – The Lands Commission has announced plans to initiate legal action against persons and entities who have defaulted in the payment of ground rent, as part of efforts to recover revenue due the State and strengthen compliance with land administration laws.
Professor Anthony Owusu-Ansah, Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, who announced this at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources’ Progress Series in Accra on Tuesday, said the Commission had already commenced the necessary legal processes against defaulting lessees of State and vested lands.
He said full enforcement of the measures was expected to begin in 2027 and urged all defaulters to settle their outstanding obligations to avoid legal sanctions.
“The Commission urges all defaulters to take immediate steps to settle their outstanding obligations to avoid potential legal proceedings and other consequences under the applicable laws,” he stated.
Prof. Owusu-Ansah explained that payment of ground rent was an annual obligation under the terms and conditions of leases, stressing that such responsibility was not dependent on the issuance of demand notices by the Commission.
He was speaking during the Ministry’s Progress Series, a platform created for agencies under the Ministry to provide updates on their operations and projects while promoting transparency and accountability.
The Executive Secretary said the Commission had collected GH¢40.7 million in ground rent as of August 2026, representing 90.4 per cent of its annual target of GH¢45 million.
The amount, he noted, was significantly higher than the GH¢32.02 million collected in 2025.
Prof. Owusu-Ansah also appealed to leaseholders with expired leases to begin renewal processes immediately to avoid legal consequences.
On land administration reforms, he highlighted the continued rollout of the Enterprise Land Information System (ELIS), a digital platform designed to improve efficiency, accessibility and transparency in service delivery.
The platform is currently operational in the Greater Accra Region and nine additional regions, namely Eastern, Western, Volta, Western North, Oti, Bono East, Savannah, North East and Ahafo.
According to him, the digitisation initiative had reduced the turnaround time for official land searches from approximately one month to an average of seven working days.
He said the Ashanti Regional Office was expected to implement the system before the end of November 2026, with nationwide deployment targeted for completion by the end of 2027.
The Executive Secretary further announced progress in the preparation of a new National Land Policy to replace the existing policy adopted in 1999.
He said an inception workshop held on October 6 and 7, 2026, brought together traditional authorities, ministries, departments and agencies, metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, academia, civil society organisations, development partners and the media to provide input into the policy review process.
The review, he said, was expected to be completed in 2027 and would provide a modern framework to address emerging land governance challenges and promote sustainable land management.
Prof. Owusu-Ansah said the preparation of regulations for the implementation of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), had also reached an advanced stage.
He noted that the draft regulations had been submitted to Parliament following stakeholder consultations and engagements with Parliament’s Committee on Subsidiary Legislation.
“We anticipate parliamentary approval before the end of 2026,” he said.
On decentralisation, Prof. Owusu-Ansah said the Commission was establishing district offices within selected Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to bring land administration services closer to the public.
Thirty-six facilities identified across the country are currently being renovated and furnished to support the initiative.
He also reported progress on infrastructure projects, including the construction of regional office buildings in the Savannah, Upper East and Western Regions, as well as the completion of the final phase of the Greater Accra Regional Office Complex.
The Commission is also advancing surveying and geospatial development through the establishment of a nationwide Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) Network.
Prof. Owusu-Ansah said 51 CORS stations had been established as of September 2026, providing the foundation for a homogeneous national geodetic reference network.
The network, he said, would improve the accuracy of surveying, cadastral mapping, spatial planning and infrastructure development across the country.
He further highlighted the Commission’s role in land acquisition and compensation valuation for strategic national projects, including the Ashaiman Roundabout–Akosombo Road Project, Motorway Roundabout–Dawhenya Road Project, Kumasi Outer Ring Road Project, Suame Interchange and Local Roads Project, the Petroleum Hub Development Project at Jomoro, and Phase III of the Appiatse Resettlement Project.
Prof. Owusu-Ansah reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to building a modern, efficient and responsive land administration system capable of supporting investment, sustainable development, and national prosperity.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Godwill Arthur-Mensah
Email: [email protected]