The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has announced plans to publish details of all applications for public lands submitted between 2017 and 2024 as part of efforts to enhance transparency and accountability in the management of state lands.
Deputy Minister Yusif Sulemana made the disclosure at a press conference on Wednesday, March 11, explaining that the initiative forms part of broader reforms being carried out by the Ministry in collaboration with the Lands Commission to strengthen oversight in the allocation and administration of public lands across Ghana.
According to the Deputy Minister, authorities have spent several months reviewing thousands of public land applications submitted by individuals, private companies and organisations seeking to acquire or lease government lands during the period under consideration.
He revealed that more than 8,000 applications were examined as part of the exercise, with some allocations revoked after failing to meet the necessary requirements, while others were confirmed as valid.
Mr Sulemana said the government believes the public deserves to know how state lands have been allocated and the financial terms involved.
“Over 8,000 applications were reviewed. Some have been revoked, while completed applications that met the requirements have not been revoked. There is a need for the public to know who has acquired what and how much was paid, and so very soon we will publish all the names of people who bought government lands,” he stated.
He added that the decision to publish the information was one of the key recommendations approved by Cabinet.
He noted that Government has also set up taskforce to monitor and halt encroachment on State lands.
As part of the directive, the Lands Commission will publish both completed and uncompleted public land applications reviewed under the exercise, with the information expected to be presented on a regional basis.
The move, according to the Ministry, is intended to improve transparency in the allocation of public lands and strengthen public confidence in the administration of state assets.
