In the last few decades, a kind of disconnection has opened up between the socio-economic land use policy and national planning.

To put it bluntly, some of the laws that regulate land use management and planning are very old and have outlived their usefulness. In fact, the creation of multiple land administration agencies has left a legacy of unresolved problems such as scattered and restricted access to records, obsolete operating procedures, overlapping, conflicting and unclear mandates, as well as duplication of efforts and responsibilities, and to some extent waste of resources.

This is against the background that the most basic economic activity depends on the availability of and judicious use of land. Having regard to the fact that housing, agriculture, forestry, mining, tourism and physical infrastructure depend essentially on land, there is the need to revamp the whole land administration system if this country is actualize her development aspirations.

The starting point to reforming land administration is no doubt the re-organisation of the land service delivery institutions like the Survey Department, Land Valuation Board, Lands Commission Secretariat and the Land Title Registry, as noted in the New Lands Commission Bill, which was published last week.

It is now a known fact that one factor that has pulled back efforts at prudent land administration is the inability of all the agencies to rely on a common depository of records and information on land.

This is because their various offices are not electronically networked and as a result land related transactions are poorly conducted; hence the genuine belief that land administration and delivery of land related services is slow, disjointed, frustrating, ridden with corruption and not investor-friendly.

It is expected that the New Lands Commission Bill would not remain a mere paper work, but would put all these agencies together by law and physically. It is in the interest of all Ghanaians to ensure the Bill is well debated and passed, if we are to get a one-stop-shop concept of land administration which facilitates the sharing of data and information between the divisions and with the public.

In fact the most of the current developmental challenges facing the country hinge on land use and improper planning as towns and villages are growing in size.

Our economic managers must be mindful that well planned towns and communities prevent disasters, promote good environmental health and attract investments and create jobs. But all these can be done only if there is a feasible and an enforceable land policy. This newspaper only hopes that all stakeholders will be invited to make an input into the final document which will be passed into law for the benefit of the country.