The Lands Commission requires $165 million to fully digitise its operations, to facilitate land registration in the country, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has disclosed.
Among others, he said, the amount would be used to fund the digitisation of the map of the country as well convert all the documents of the Commission in a digital format.
Mr Buah, announced this in Accra, yesterday, when he paid a working visit to the Lands Commission, to familiarise himself with its operations.
The minister explained that only 10 per cent of the operations of the Commission were digitised and 90 per cent of land registration processes were done manually.
He said when the digitisation exercise was completed, services of the Commission would be rendered electronically, and people could sit in the comfort of their homes and access land registration services and register their lands.
Mr Buah said the digitisation would also help the government to raise more revenue through land registration.
He revealed that digitisation of the Lands Commission was in the interest of the government and he would facilitate for the government to raise the money for the Commission.
According to the Minister, the objective of the government to raise more revenue from the property tax would be hinged on digitising the system of the Lands Commission.
Mr Buah therefore entreated the staff of the Commission to support the digitisation exercise so that government could raise more revenue to help improve their conditions of service.
The minister entreated the Commission to work hard to purge itself as a corrupt institution in the country.
According to Mr Buah, the public perceived Lands Commission as a corrupt public institution, “despite the good people you have and the good work you are doing, Lands Commission is perceived as one of the most corrupt institutions in Ghana”.
Mr Buah noted that in spite of the crucial role the Commission played in land administration and the development of the country, their remuneration was poor.
He pledged that the government would initiate measures to improve the conditions of service of the staff of the Commission.
“This is reason I want to work with you to transform and change,” he told the Lands Commission staff.
The Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Mr Benjamin Arthur, said the Commission had previously tried to partner with some private sector organisations to digitise the operations of the Commission through its internationally generated funds.
However, he said, the Commission had not been able to do so considering the huge capital outlay involved.
Mr Arthur said the Commission would need the support of the government to be able to fully digitise its operations.
Mr Buah was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Yusif Sulemana, and other senior officials of the ministry.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
