The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced the cancellation of all uncompleted public land transactions initiated between 2017 and 2024 that failed to meet due process requirements, alongside a raft of sweeping reforms aimed at restoring integrity, transparency, and value for money in the administration of public lands.
Addressing the media, the Minister described the move as “a critical milestone in our collective efforts to strengthen integrity, transparency, and accountability in the administration of public lands, which are held in trust for the people of Ghana.”
Presidential Directive and Committee Review
The Minister recalled that on January 10, 2025, President John Dramani Mahama directed the Lands Commission to immediately halt all activities relating to the lease and processing of transactions involving public lands.
According to him, the intervention was aimed at safeguarding public lands from abuse, restoring discipline in land administration, and ensuring that transactions “deliver value for money to the State.”
In response, a Committee chaired by the Deputy Minister was inaugurated on June 5, 2025, to review the lease of public lands in line with the Government’s Resetting Agenda.
The Committee reviewed 8,160 lease applications executed or initiated between 2017 and 2024 across all sixteen regions. These included:
4,176 Direct Allocations
2,799 Regularizations
19 Direct Allocations relating to State Bungalows
108 Land Swap or Public-Private Partnership arrangements
795 Subsequent Transactions
263 Fresh Allocations
The review revealed that a number of these allocations did not fully comply with the Lands Commission’s internal procedures, thereby undermining transparency and exposing the system to potential abuse.
Immediate Cancellations and Case-by-Case Reviews
Cabinet has approved the Committee’s recommendations and directed their immediate implementation. The Minister announced that:
All uncompleted transactions within the reviewed categories have been cancelled, and affected applicants will be formally notified.
Completed transactions will undergo case-by-case review, and any allocation processed without full compliance will be cancelled.
All uncompleted regularisation applications remain suspended pending a comprehensive review and standardisation of procedures.
“For the avoidance of doubt,” he clarified, “a transaction will be treated as completed where a formal offer has been issued and accepted by the applicant.”
Both completed and uncompleted application lists will be published region-by-region, beginning with Greater Accra, on the Ministry and Lands Commission websites.
Completed transactions under review will be assessed against clear benchmarks, including statutory compliance, value for money, conformity with planning requirements, and enhanced disclosure to prevent misuse of corporate structures.
“These measures are not intended to unfairly disadvantage anyone,” the Minister emphasised, adding that affected applicants will be allowed to reapply under the new regime.
Major Reforms Introduced
The Minister outlined six major reform pillars.
- Revision of Public Land Application Form (Form 5)
A key finding was the inconsistent application of Form 5 across regions, resulting in discretionary practices.
The Ministry has revised Form 5 to serve as the single mandatory application instrument nationwide. It will be published online and made accessible for electronic submission.
- Overhaul of Internal Allocation Processes
The Ministry has also reviewed the Lands Commission’s internal procedures to eliminate inconsistencies and strengthen internal checks.
Under the revised framework, “no public land will be allocated by the Lands Commission without the prior written approval of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.”
The move, he explained, reinforces ministerial oversight and adds a safeguard against unauthorised allocations.
- Legislative Backing
To prevent a return to past practices, the revised application form and internal processes will be incorporated into a draft Land Regulation currently under review.
- New 70% Premium Framework
One of the most significant changes relates to land valuation.
The Minister revealed that premiums for public land leases had historically ranged between 1% and 30% of market value, significantly undervaluing state assets.
Under the new framework, “a minimum of 70 per cent of the assessed market value of public land will be payable upfront as a premium, with the remaining 30 per cent structured over the tenure of the lease as ground rent.”
He further reminded State Institutions, pursuant to Section 235(4) of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), that allocations confer only user rights and do not permit transactions without prior written ministerial approval.
- Publication of Market Value Data
To enhance transparency, the Ministry and Lands Commission will compile and publish reliable market value data for defined land clusters nationwide.
The data will serve as a reference for assessing premiums and ensuring objective, predictable decision-making.
- Public Land Protection Task Force
A Public Land Protection Task Force will be established during the reform transition period.
The Task Force will operate within the framework of the Constitution, the Lands Commission Act, 2008 (Act 767), the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), and applicable criminal laws.
It will comprise personnel from:
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources
The Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources
The Lands Commission
The Ghana Police Service and allied security services
Its mandate will include preventing encroachment, halting unauthorised developments, and protecting public lands under review.
Ban Lifted, Activities Resume Under New Rules
The Minister also clarified that the temporary ban on Lands Commission services — including leasing, processing, and regularisation of public lands — has now been lifted.
“All activities may resume immediately, but strictly in accordance with the new reforms and procedures announced today,” he said, stressing that every transaction must adhere to transparency, accountability, and value-for-money principles.
Government Commitment to Public Interest
In his concluding remarks, the Minister underscored that public lands are “vested in the President in trust for the people of Ghana to be administered in the public interest.”
“They are meant to serve national development objectives, support public infrastructure, and promote equitable access to land. It is therefore our solemn responsibility to safeguard these lands from mismanagement, misuse, and unauthorised disposals.”
He further announced that the Ministry has secured 100% retention of the Lands Commission’s Internally Generated Funds, with 67% earmarked to fund the Land Bank and Digitalisation Project.
“This initiative will serve as a catalyst to restore public confidence and ensure that public lands are managed transparently, responsibly, and for the benefit of present and future generations,” he stated.
With the new premium framework, legislative backing, enhanced oversight, and enforcement mechanisms, the Minister signalled a decisive shift in how public lands will be managed going forward — anchored on discipline, transparency, and national value.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com