MiDA Support Land Registration

THE MILLENNIUM Development Authority (MiDA) has provided GH¢6.254 million to the Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines (MLFM) and its implementing agencies to facilitate the registration of lands acquired for various agricultural activities under the Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC).

An agreement signed between the two parties in Accra, was intended to ease and legally facilitate the processes of land registration by individuals, groups and businesses that acquire lands for agriculture project under the MCC.

The agreement was also to enhance the streamlining of government's Land Administration Project which seeks to remedy land problems through a systematic reform of policy and institutional framework governing land tenure in the country.

Some of the would-be implementing agencies present at the function were Land Valuation Board, Office of the Administration of Stool Lands, Survey Department, and Lands Commission among others.

Specifically, the Land Tenure Facilitation Activity, under the $547 Ghana Compact, would generally be funded through a $10.688 million facility to support the facilitation of land transactions by providing on-demand services.

Before signing the agreement, Martin Eson-Benjamin, Chief Executive of MiDA, recapped the overall framework of the Ghana Compact, highlighting the monumental role access to land plays in any agricultural venture.

“The Ministry of Lands, Forestry and Mines and its departments and agencies have a crucial role to play, since they define land policy, work to facilitate access to land and ensure tenure security.”

He disclosed that his outfit was in the process of installing Continuous Operating Receiver Systems to digitally map out farm parcels.

“One of such equipments has arrived and will be installed at Winneba in the Central Region,” he added.

The CEO stated that the Land Title Registry would be helped to secure an office in MiDA's pilot registration district to enable the placing of prospective proprietors in the title registers, leading to the issuance of Title Certificates.

“This will place farmers in a good leverage to access credit in the foreseeable future,” Mr. Eson-Benjamin stressed.

Ms. Esther Obeng Dapaah, Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines thanked MiDA for co-sponsoring the first ever National Land Reform Forum, held in the country.

By Patrick Baidoo