The Lands Commission is set to initiate an $85-million project in partnership with a local private company, PBD Ltd, starting next year.
This five-year project aims to revolutionize land administration in the country.
PBD Ltd, the local investor, will provide both the capital and technical expertise required for the project.
The comprehensive initiative will involve the development of digital maps of the country, the enhancement of the Lands Commission’s human resource capacity through training and retraining, the provision of new tools for the commission, and the consolidation of land records digitization.
The acting Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Benjamin Arthur, disclosed these plans, emphasizing that the objective is for the investor to contribute the necessary resources for the project’s implementation.
The Lands Commission will then repay the investment over an extended period using internally generated funds.
“We have reached an advanced stage with the processes for the investor to come on board,” Arthur stated.
This announcement follows a directive from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources regarding the need to address the root causes of corruption at the Lands Commission. A 2021 study by the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) ranked the Lands Commission as the most corrupt institution in Ghana.
The study revealed that officials at the commission received the largest cash bribes among public officials, with an average bribe size of GH₵1,669.
In response to the minister’s directive, the client service unit of the Lands Commission has replaced all front desk officers with technical staff. This partnership with a private investor is envisioned as a comprehensive approach to create a robust system that combats corruption, and it includes the vital step of digitally mapping the country.
Mr. Arthur stressed the importance of digital mapping, as it would eliminate the need for various agencies to develop their maps independently. Instead, it would establish a national spatial data infrastructure that allows all agencies to access standardized data for their respective needs.
Deputy Minister Benito Owusu-Bio emphasized the need for the Lands Commission to expedite reforms in areas such as human resources, structure, and processes to improve its image and eliminate corruption.
He hailed the public-private partnership as a positive and revolutionary step that would empower the commission to fulfill its mandate while ensuring the removal of illegal actors from service provision.