The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, has said the Ministry will implement the communique resulting from the first edition of the National Lands Conference (NLC) 2022, which took place in Accra.
During the presentation of the communique to the NLC Committee on Thursday, the Minister noted that given the calibre of participants at the conference, was a testimony that the communique was important and its contents worth implementing.
The communique follows President Akufo-Addo’s directive for the National Lands Conference Committee to come up with recommendations to help build a Land administration system that is fit for purpose.
The Minister pointed out that “coming after the passage of the New Land Act 2022, (Act 1036), and the sensitisation that has come about from the Land Act, I believe putting the Land Act and this communique together, will go a great deal in helping us construct an effective Land administration system in our country which is anchored on integrity and fit for purpose.”
He stressed that “We cannot have the kind of national economic development we seek as a people without a land administration system which is fit for purpose because the fulcrum around which the economic activities revolve is land and therefore the administration of land in any country is known to build economic development.”
He thanked the NLC Committee, co-chaired by his Deputy Minister for Lands and Forestry, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, and Mr Maxwell Adu-Nsarfoa, the Ministry’s Technical Director for Lands, for their tireless efforts in ensuring the communique was delivered.
He lauded the Lands Commission for moving in the right direction, which has already improved the country’s land administration system.
He urged the Lands Commission and the NLC Committee to hold such conferences regularly and suggested that, if possible, a framework be put in place to foster continuous engagement to complement the evolving nature of land administration.
Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, Co-Chair of the NLC Committee and Deputy Minister for Lands and Forestry, stated the outcomes of the sessions that formed the basis of the Communique on behalf of his members.
They are improving the security of land tenure, improving survey, mapping, spatial planning and development, holding a biennial national land conference and human settlement development.
The rest are the restoration of lands degraded through illegal mining, capacity development, land-related SDGs, support of development partners, review of the National Land Policy of 1999, targeted engagement with traditional authorities and support for the operationalization of the multi-stakeholder platform.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD
