PRIME MINISTER P.J. Patterson yesterday launched the Ministry of Land and Environment's Cadastral Mapping and Tenure Regularisation component of the Land Administration and Management Programme (LAMP) under which some 30,000 landowners in St. Catherine are to benefit.
The Cadastral Mapping and Tenure Regularisation component which was launched at the Sligoville Baptist Church in Sligoville, St. Catherine, is a part of the government's mission to ensure that landowners acquire legal titles for their land.
A cadastral map is one which shows every parcel of land as they relate to each other.
Up to last July the Land Titles Division of the Ministry of Land and Environment had confirmed that some 300,000 parcels of land were still unregistered while other sources had estimated that that figure could be more than 500,000.
"I have been extremely concerned that the majority of Jamaican landowners still do not have legal titles for their lands, the government of Jamaica is determined to remedy this imbalance," said Prime Minister Patterson in his address to the crowded Baptist church hall.
Mr. Patterson explained that to enable landowners to benefit as much as possible under the programme, which is being tested first in St. Catherine before being instituted in other areas, the government has waived stamp duties and transfer taxes for landowners in targeted areas.
"We have also ensured that other associated fees have been substantially reduced," he said.
Government will also be offering legal and surveying services to the landowners free of cost, all they have to do is to "bush" their boundaries. Beneficiaries of this programme are expected to pay as little as $17,000 dollars to get a title for a parcel of land.
Mr. Patterson also explained that thousands of persons who do not own lands are expected to be facilitated under the programme. However, this should not be seen as encouragement for persons to squat on government or private land, he said.
"I am not a Prime Minister that chat-chat, and some people don't like it and some people think ah soft, but when it comes to progress for the people, I am resolute," he said.
In preparation for the massive titling process, Land and Environment Minister Horace Dalley, said new technology expected to be instituted under the Public Sector Modernisation Programme will see the Titles Office, processing some 50,000 titles each year.
