The National Land Agency answers the following questions:
Q: Who is qualified to purchase Crown land?
A: Any citizen of Jamaica.
Q: How do ordinary Jamaicans access Crown land? How do they know when such land is up for sale?
A: Some people having done their own research and finding out that the land is owned by the state, put in an application for land. Sometimes the National Land Agency (NLA) advertises the lands for sale.
Q: Describe the process of
selling Crown land.
A: When someone writes to the NLA requesting to purchase the land, the NLA does its own research to confirm that the land is in fact owned by the government.
An application form is then forwarded to the individual. The completed form is submitted to the commissioner of lands who does due diligence to ensure that it is available.
The NLA holds land on trust for other ministries and has to find out from them if they are interested in the land and if they have any objection to it being sold.
If the land is available a valuation is done and submission is prepared for the Ministry of Lands for approval. Depending on the proposed use of the land, letters are written to agencies like the National Environmental Planning Agency for their comments. Depending again on the proposed use whether it is for business or farming, a plan has to accompany the proposal.
If the applicant is a company, it has to submit articles of memorandum of association and its tax compliance certificate.If all is in order a submission is made to the minister who has to approve divestment of all Crown land for which the National Land Agency is responsible.
