At a media engagement hosted by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Prof. Anthony Owusu-Ansah, outlined a series of sweeping reforms and recent achievements aimed at transforming land administration in Ghana.
Prof. Owusu-Ansah began by announcing the government’s development of a new National Land Policy to replace the existing 1999 policy. “It is our commitment that the new policy reflects current national priorities and responds effectively to emerging land governance challenges,” he said, explaining that an inception workshop had already brought together traditional authorities, government agencies, civil society, academia, development partners, and the media. Further consultations will follow, with the review expected to be completed in 2027.
Turning to the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), Prof. Owusu-Ansah revealed that regulations to operationalize the Act are at an advanced stage. The revised draft Legislative Instrument has been forwarded to Parliament, and approval is anticipated before the year’s end.
A major highlight of the commission’s achievements is the digitisation of land services through the Enterprise Land Information System (ELIS). By September 2026, ELIS enhancements in Greater Accra were extended to nine other regions, slashing the average turnaround time for official land searches from about a month to just seven working days. The Ashanti regional office will launch ELIS by the end of November, with nationwide coverage expected by 2027.
Decentralization is also underway, with district offices established in selected MMDAs and 36 facilities renovated and furnished to bring services closer to the public. In surveying, the commission has established 51 Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) in collaboration with LiSAG and private partners, significantly improving geospatial accuracy across the country.
Several regional office projects are making headway: construction in Savannah, Upper East, and Western Regions is at 50% completion, while ongoing work in the Central Region has resumed. The final phase of the Greater Accra regional office complex is complete, and procurement for the Tema district office is underway.
On the financial front, the commission has collected GH¢40.7 million in ground rent as of August 2026, already 90.4% of its annual target, and well above last year’s total. A digital ground rent payment platform is being piloted in Greater Accra. Prof. Owusu-Ansah cautioned all lessees to pay annual rent, renew expired leases, and update records to avoid legal action, noting that full legal procedures against defaulters will roll out in 2027.
The commission is also facilitating land acquisition and compensation processes for major national projects, including road upgrades, interchanges, and resettlement initiatives.
Prof. Owusu-Ansah concluded, “The Lands Commission remains committed to delivering on its mandate and contributing to government’s vision of a modern, efficient and responsive land administration system.”
Source: Apexnewsgh.com