Government to introduce legislation to regulate public land sales-Mahama
By DL News
Published
1 min read
Speaking to Ghanaians living in Zambia, the President said government reviews had uncovered deals in which prime public plots were acquired cheaply and later flipped for substantial profit.
President John Dramani Mahama says his administration will send legislation to Parliament to tighten controls over the sale and lease of public property, after what he described as repeated cases of state land being disposed of at prices far below market value.
Speaking to Ghanaians living in Zambia, the President said government reviews had uncovered deals in which prime public plots were acquired cheaply and later flipped for substantial profit.
He cited an example of government land bought for about GHS150,000 and later resold for as much as $2 million, arguing that the pricing gaps raised serious questions about value-for-money and stewardship of state assets.
Mahama said a committee has been set up to take stock of public lands in Accra and other regions. He explained that where allocations involved lands whose titles had not been processed, those transactions had been halted and the lands reclaimed. For properties already developed, he said occupants would be required to pay what he described as the true market value.
Under the proposed framework, he said Parliament would become the key approval layer for divestiture of public property. He added that documentation at the Lands Commission would not move forward unless the transaction has been ratified by the legislature.
The President said the planned bill is intended to strengthen transparency, accountability and oversight in the management of state property, and to curb what he described as the rampant disposal of government lands.
