The government has digitalised the Western North Regional Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands (OASL) to promote effective operations.
The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Lands and Forestry, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, who inaugurated the office at Sefwi Wiawso last Thursday, said it would facilitate the establishment of the Stool Lands Account into which Traditional Authorities and the District Assemblies pay stool lands revenue.
He applauded the OASL for its effort in mobilising customary land revenue since its creation, stating that it has played a role in alleviating poverty in stool land-owning communities.
Mr Owusu-Bio said effective revenue mobilisation would play a critical role in helping the government to realise its “Ghana Beyond Aid” agenda.
“This is evident in how the revenue raised over the years has been used by Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies in development projects such as the construction of schools, CHPS compounds, markets and community centres, among other things,” he added.
The minister admonished the traditional authorities to liaise with the OASL to establish Customary Land Secretariats (CLSs) as stipulated by the Lands Act, 2020, Act 1036 to streamline land administration at the local level.
He urged the staff to work tirelessly to ensure that maximum revenue is collected for the benefit of the stools and the people of the Western North Region.
He also advised them to make the most of available technologies to improve efficiency while upholding the highest level of transparency and accountability to the stools and the government.
Mr Owusu-Bio expressed the hope that the OASL’s operations would enable the Office to do more in terms of its mandate and reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to helping the OASL overcome its obstacles and enhance its operations.
On her part, the Administrator of Stool Lands Surveyor, Maame Ama Edumadze-Acquah, disclosed that the OASL is actively digitalising its operations across the nation in partnership with GIZ, which involves identifying property owners/lessees to make it easier to pay rent.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD
