Lands Commission to invest GHS1.8 billion in land administration reforms 

The Lands Commission has projected an investment of GH¢1.8 billion towards the implementation of its Strategic Land Administration Reform Project (SLARP) by 2030 to improve efficiency, transparency and service delivery in land administration across the country.

Mr Jones Ofori-Boadu, National Coordinator of SLARP, announced this at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources' Progress Series in Accra on Tuesday.

He said the five-year reform programme would largely be financed through the Commission's internally generated funds (IGF), with 67 per cent of the revenue to be ring-fenced to support its implementation.

Mr Ofori-Boadu noted, however, that the Commission remained open to engaging a strategic investor to support the project, with repayment to be made from the ring-fenced revenue.

He said an Implementation Management Unit was inaugurated on July 1, 2026, to oversee the rollout of the reform programme and ensure the successful execution of its various components.

According to him, the project comprises eight key components aimed at modernising land administration and enhancing revenue mobilisation.

The components include the establishment of a Land Information System to digitise land records, capacity building for staff of the Commission, re-engineering of the institution's operational processes, strengthening land valuation and surveying systems, and improving customer service delivery.

Mr Ofori-Boadu said the reforms were expected to address longstanding challenges in land administration, reduce delays in service delivery, improve data management and enhance public confidence in the land sector.

Earlier, Professor Anthony Owusu-Ansah, Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, highlighted ongoing reforms and operational achievements of the Commission.

He announced plans by the Commission to commence legal action against persons and entities that had defaulted in the payment of ground rent on State and vested lands.

Prof. Owusu-Ansah said legal processes against defaulting lessees had already begun, with full enforcement expected in 2027.

He urged all defaulters to settle their outstanding obligations to avoid legal sanctions.

The Executive Secretary disclosed that 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 and exceeding the GH¢32.02 million collected in 2025.

On digitisation efforts, Prof. Owusu-Ansah said the Enterprise Land Information System (ELIS), currently operational in Greater Accra and nine other regions, had reduced the turnaround time for official land searches from about one month to an average of seven working days.

He said the Ashanti Regional Office was expected to deploy the system before the end of November 2026, while nationwide implementation was targeted for completion by the end of 2027.

The Executive Secretary also announced progress in the review of the National Land Policy and the preparation of regulations to operationalise the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036).

He expressed optimism that Parliament would approve the draft regulations before the end of 2026.

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 economic growth.

GNA