Pay Prompt Timber Royalties- Minister

The Office of Administrator of Stool Lands and the Forestry Commission have been urged to find a workable solution that would ensure prompt disbursement of timber royalties to beneficiaries.

According to a deputy Minister of Lands, Forestry and Mines, Andrews Adjei Yeboah, the issue of timber royalties had been long overdue and as such the two institutions should collaborate to ensure quick payment of royalties to recepients.

“With the beneficiaries of stool land revenue, the office needs to engage them in ensuring that the relevant provisions of the Administration of Lands Act, 123 are strictly adhered to in the utilization of their revenues”.

Speaking at the 10th Annual Conference of the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands at Shai Hills, Mr. Adjei Yeboah said the office should strengthen the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to avert land disputes in the country.

Mr. Adjei Yeboah urged the Office of Administrator of Stool Lands to lend maximum support to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which is one of the various strategies aimed at ensuring transparency, accountability and equity over payments and receipts of revenues from mineral resources.

He urged the land sector agency to incorporate the New Service Charter which would help improve its service delivery to boost investor confidence in the land market.

He challenged them to put in place mechanisms that would assist in mobilizing enough revenue so as to reduce pressure on the government.

The outgoing Administrator of Stool Lands, Mrs Matilda Esi Fiadzigbey condemned the misappropriation of revenue by district assemblies.

She urged all stakeholders to collaborate for the sustainable management of natural resources.

Mrs Fiadzigbey also threw a challenge to the management and staff of Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands to work hard and in line with the core values of accountability, transparency and equity in order to justify the existence of the office.

Under the first five years of the Land Administration Project capacity building, customary land administration is to be enhanced at the local level.

By Charles Nixon Yeboah