New Guidelines On Large Scale Land Transaction Developed

By Cliff Ekuful

The government has developed new guidelines for large scale land transactions in line with its goal of ensuring an effective and efficient land use for socio-economic development.

The guidelines developed by the Lands Commission aims at assisting customary landowners and resource users, investors and other decision makers to better appreciate the due process one has to follow in acquiring land on large-scale for investment purposes.

Addressing the media at the Meet-the-Press Series organised by the Ministry of Information in Accra on Wednesday, the Minister of lands and Natural Resources, Mr Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, said the government recognised the importance of land in the socio-economic drive of the country and would do everything possible to ensure that land was available for potential investors.

He explained that large scale was 50 acres and above but with exception, depending on human rights and environmental concerns triggered by the acquisition, the guidelines may apply.

Mr Asomah-Cheremeh said the objectives underlining the new approach were to minimise speculative acquisition and all forms of practices that had the potential to undermine state policy on land development.

Furthermore, it was to protect the interest of local communities by avoiding a situation where investors or individuals who acquire large tracts of land usurp the rights of the larger population and in the process subvert the intent of Article 36 (8) of the constitution, safeguard the interest of genuine investors by ensuring that their acquisition leads to secured rights in an atmosphere of mutual trust so as to promote the principles in international law to Foreign Direct Investment(FDI).

In addition, it would promote better land use, conform to the land use plan of the areas involved, promote government development policy objectives and ensure conformity with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and international best practices.

The minister noted that in consultation with other stakeholders as part of consolidating the government's vision to put the national capital on a competitive pedestal, it had facilitated the surveying and acquisition of appropriate legal interest in various land areas earmarked for these transformational projects.

These projects he said included; the Marine drive tourism project, Energy city project, the Greater Accra Site for Industrial Enclave and Urban Renewal Project, the National Cathedral Project and the Redevelopment of Kumasi Sector 18.

The other projects were the Redevelopment of Sekondi-Takoradi Beach Road and other Urban Redevelopment Projects.

Mr Asomah-Cheremeh said the lands commission was also facilitating the establishment of the Ghana-Togo Boundary Commission to determine the country's off-shore boundaries with its neighbours as well as the verification and validation of the boundaries of the six newly created regions for final boundary survey works.

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