The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced the immediate cancellation of all uncompleted transactions involving the lease of public lands, following a comprehensive nationwide review ordered by President John Dramani Mahama.
Addressing the media, the Minister said Cabinet has approved the findings and recommendations of a special committee established to examine public land allocations and leases between 2017 and 2024. The review covered 8,160 applications across all 16 regions of Ghana.
According to the Minister, the applications comprised 4,176 direct allocations, 2,799 regularizations, 19 allocations relating to state bungalows, 108 land swap or public-private partnership arrangements, 795 subsequent transactions, and 263 fresh allocations.
The committee found that a number of transactions did not fully comply with the Lands Commission’s internal procedures, raising concerns about transparency, accountability and value for money.
As part of corrective measures, all uncompleted transactions within the identified categories have been cancelled, and affected applicants will be formally notified. Completed transactions will undergo a case-by-case review, and any allocation found to have breached due process will also be revoked.
For the purpose of the exercise, a transaction will be considered completed only where a formal offer has been issued and accepted by the applicant.
The Minister announced that lists of both completed and uncompleted applications will be published region-by-region, beginning with the Greater Accra Region, on the websites of the Ministry and the Lands Commission.
Major Reforms Introduced
The government has introduced a series of reforms aimed at restoring integrity to the administration of public lands.
A revised Public Land Application Form (Form 5) has been developed to serve as the single mandatory application instrument nationwide. The updated form will soon be made available online for electronic submission.
Additionally, internal processes at the Lands Commission have been restructured to strengthen oversight and eliminate discretionary practices. Under the new framework, no public land will be allocated without prior written approval from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.
To ensure sustainability, the revised application procedures and internal processes will be incorporated into a draft Land Regulation currently under review.
The Ministry has also introduced a new premium framework for public land leases. Under the revised structure, a minimum of 70 percent of the assessed market value of public land must be paid upfront as premium, with the remaining 30 percent paid as ground rent over the lease period. Previously, premiums ranged between 1 and 30 percent of market value.
Furthermore, government will compile and publish market value data for defined land clusters nationwide to promote transparency and consistency in valuation.
A Public Land Protection Task Force will also be established to prevent encroachment and unauthorized development on public lands under review. The task force will include representatives from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, the Lands Commission, the Ghana Police Service, allied security agencies, and a private sector stakeholder.
Temporary Ban Lifted
The Minister clarified that the temporary suspension of Lands Commission services — including leasing, processing and regularization of public lands — has been lifted with immediate effect. However, all activities must now comply strictly with the newly approved reforms.
He emphasized that public lands are held in trust for the people of Ghana and must be administered in the public interest to support national development and equitable access.
The Ministry has secured full retention of the Lands Commission’s internally generated funds, with 67 percent earmarked for a Land Bank and Digitalisation Project aimed at strengthening land administration and restoring public confidence.
Government, the Minister assured, remains committed to reforming and decentralizing land administration to ensure transparency, accountability and long-term national benefit.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
