IMPROVING LAND TRANSFER PROCEDURES IN GHANA
Abstract
In Ghana, land acquisition and ownership are crucial elements in the social and political structure of every community. The acquisition of land which has always been a big denominator in the construction industry in Ghana has reached a stage a stage where the government will have to guarantee the acquisition of land for development purposes so as to reduce the numerous land litigations most developers have to go through. The objectives of the study were to assess and make recommendations for legal institutional and procedural improvements in the land administration system. The study examines the land delivery agencies in Ghana – The Lands Commission, the Deeds Registry; The Survey Department; Land Valuation Board; Town and Country Planning. The Land Title Registry and other state agencies which deal with land matters on different wavelengths during the first quarter of 1998. The study revealed that existing that the existing land administration and management systems in Ghana do not create or afford the necessary security of tenure and peaceful occupation expected by prospective purchasers of land. These have manifested themselves in the use of land guards by chiefs and individuals to protect their lands. The study further revealed that duplication of services, lack of co-ordination, institutional/departmental rivalry, poor working conditions and low salary levels are major constraints facing the land delivery agencies in Ghana.
The study concludes with the merger of the land delivery agencies to ensure a co-ordinated and an integrated approach to land administration, the establishment of a land data bank and record, administrative adjudication of land disputes and improved capacity building to ensure the efficient operations of the land delivery agencies as the nation moves into the 21st Century in which the attraction of land investors will become more competitive.
