KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY

THE VICE PRESIDENT

OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA

DR. ALHAJI MAHAMUDU BAWUMIA

ON THE OCCASION OF THE MAIDEN

LAND ADMINISTRATION FORUM

LABADI BEACH HOTEL, ACCRA

WEDNESDAY 28 FEBRUARY, 2018

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1. Honourable Ministers of State,

Dean, Faculty of Built Environment, KNUST,
Chairman of the Lands Commission,
Directors from the Ministry of Lands & Natural Resources,
Distinguished Chief Executives of various Organizations,
Experts from Ordnance Survey, Sweden and Rwanda,
Friends from the Media,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

2. It is a great honour to be at this gathering to discuss Land

Administration Reforms. This forum is intended to offer a great
opportunity to collate inputs from experts to fashion the next
steps for land administration reforms in Ghana.

3. Let me welcome all our visitors who have come from overseas
to share their experiences with us. We also acknowledge all
those who have foregone the many things that occupy their
daily lives so they can be part of this conversation and to share
their expertise for the greater public good. Thank you.

4. As we all know, land is the single most visible article of our

common existence, whether you own a piece of it or not. Land
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and land management issues connect every facet of the

national sphere. Rules of land tenure, how they are applied,
how they are administered from land ownership and land uses,
have always played an important role in shaping the political,
economic and social processes of societies.

5. In many parts of the world, the seeming abundance of land

does not necessarily mean that it is available, accessible and
usable. The way we govern land and its administration, Mr.
Chairman, dictates how well land can contribute to the process
of how we build economies and even to the distribution of
wealth in society.

6. Mr. Chairman, land provides an essential platform for the

growth and development of every nation. Hence the
importance that I attach to this conversation here today. And I
strongly believe that this forum will set the right tone for an
all-inclusive and frank discussion that will help government
roll out strategic interventions for effective and efficient land
administration in Ghana.

7. The broad objective of the forum is for all of us here today to

brainstorm on the concrete reforms in the land sector.
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Specifically, the focus will be on:

 Reviewing the current state of land administration in

Ghana
 Identifying challenges facing land administration in
Ghana
 Reviewing best practices of land administration
 Developing recommendations for policy reforms.
 Designing a road map for land administration reforms
in Ghana

8. To these ends, the conference organizers have designed the

content of this Forum into four themes. Let me touch on them
briefly.

Land Policy and Governance Framework

9. Mr. Chairman, the first is land policy and governance

framework. A prerequisite for an effective and efficient land
administration system is to formulate a sound land policy and
how to operationalize that policy. Since the adoption of the
National Land Policy in 1999, a number of interventions have
been introduced, technologies have changed and new
approaches have been introduced, tested and implemented.
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10. Nearly 20 years on, there are two key questions: First, is
Ghana’s land policy document still wholly relevant? Second,
how does the policy address the contemporary socio-economic
issues?

11. There are many who complain about the disorderly system
of land administration and whether the system effectively
protects the majority of land rights and provides the security of
tenure needed to encourage investments.

12. Without an effective and well-coordinated governance

structure for the implementation and enforcement of laws,
regulations, guidelines and directives, it will be difficult to
achieve the desired impacts of the land administration. It is
therefore important to critically review the land policy
document keeping in mind the emerging socio-economic
dynamics.

Spatial Data Provision and Land Use Planning

13. The second theme, Mr. Chairman has to do with Spatial Data
and Land Use Planning. An up-to-date spatial data is essential
for planning, effective land management and development at
the national, regional and local levels.
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14. The lack of adequate spatial data on registered and

unregistered land, especially in the urban areas, poses a
fundamental challenge to urban planning and our overall
development. The provision of maps and spatial data covering
the entire country will serve the needs of government,
businesses and individuals. I am informed that LAP 1, LAP 2,
and other similar projects have either produced or are
producing orthophoto maps covering specific areas of the
country for various purposes.

15. These combined with the recently introduced Digital

Address system should help us generate comprehensive spatial
data about land in the country. We would therefore need to
consider how fit-for-purpose approaches can be adopted in the
provision of spatial data for multiple purposes.

Sustainable Capital Base for Land Administration

16. Mr. Chairman, the third theme for the forum is developing
sustainable capital base for land administration. Make no
mistake, land administration everywhere is expensive and
capital intensive.
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17. Land administration systems involve multiple processes

and different institutions in determining and recording of land
ownership, land value, and land use. Good land administration
must bring together various stakeholders including the
Judiciary, different land agencies. In Ghana this includes the
Lands Commission, Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands,
Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority as well as Traditional
Authorities.

18. What we need is to build a solid framework and a common

platform for effective and efficient land administration and a
seamless service delivery in all land related matters across
institutions.

19. The questions of interest to us are:

 What aspects of land administration can we encourage
private sector participation?
 How can the private sector effectively contribute?
 And what mechanisms can be used to ensure sustainable
funding to the land administration system? Can we think
of the use of structured fees and charges in service
delivery? Let us make land taxation an integral part of
this land administration conversation.
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Private Sector Participation in Automation of Land Service

Delivery.

20. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the third theme leads

us into the final theme on private sector participation in the
automation of land service delivery. The days of manual land
administration processes are over. And I am sure some of our
invited guest will share with us their experiences about
moving into the digital environment.

21. Ghana cannot be left behind. Ghana has started a pilot

project with the implementation of the Ghana Enterprise Land
Information System (GELIS) and the Land Use Planning
Management Information System (LUPMIS). But with all the
investments made, only 10% of the legacy data at the Lands
Commission has so far been digitized. This is unacceptable.
Surely, we can do better. What role can the private sector play
in moving forward in this digitized environment?

22. Land Administration in Ghana has over the years seen some
interventions but with little impact on land title registration
and on the turnaround time for service delivery. Indeed, a
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number of significant challenges exist that mar the efficiency of

the land administration system in the country.

23. Indiscipline in the land market in this country include the

flagrant encroachment of state lands, especially by those who
should know better, multiple land sales, land insecurity and
“land-guards syndrome”, protracted land disputes, and the lack
of total digitization of land administration processes. Many
who want to register lands are often frustrated by complex
processes and often needless delays, and corruption in many
facets of the land administration system.

24. The Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo led government is

committed to creating a healthy Land Administration
environment that promotes investments in land use and
management for agricultural transformation, for housing and
for industrial activities. It is therefore most imperative that we
make the strategic interventions needed in addressing the
fundamental issues plaguing the current land administration
system.
25. There is capital value in land. Let us create a transparent
and progressive market for land. Let us securitize it to create
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wealth. We call on the efforts of all stakeholders to make this

happen.

26. The National Land Policy of 1999 was introduced to ensure

the maximization of the use and management of land resources
to have positive socio-economic impact. It is important,
therefore, to evaluate the policy and suggest reforms measures
needed to ensure its effectiveness.

27. Let us not focus only on the institutional arrangements and

legal frameworks. Just as important are land information
systems, standards, the management and dissemination
systems and application of technologies.

28. Mr. Chairman, the government believes in the digitization of

our governance processes. The soon to be launched national
identification system, the digital address system, our initiative
in the paperless ports, the innovations in business registry and
the issuing of new smart driving license are all steps in moving
Ghana into the digitization environment.

29. We believe in reducing unnecessary delays and bottlenecks

that make our governance systems inefficient, slow,
burdensome and fertile grounds for corruption. We must
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reduce the transactions costs for individuals and businesses in

every aspect of their daily lives and in doing their businesses.

30. The government therefore fully supports efforts already

underway in digitizing land administration processes. This will
increase information accessibility and coordination between
all stakeholders. Automating the processes requires the
contribution and support of the private sector and we must
work towards forging and enhancing such partnerships.

31. In conclusion, it is my fervent hope that this Land

Administration Forum would yield specific strategic
recommendations that would lead to the improvement of our
land administration system. Effective and efficient land
administration is a collective effort. And we as a government
reiterate our commitment to achieving total development of
our country through the efficient use of one of our fundamental
inputs to all socio-economic activities, LAND resources.
32. I wish all of you a wonderful and productive session.
Thank you.