Kumasi, April 28, GNA - Mr Kofi Opoku Manu, Ashanti Regional Minister, has urged the various agencies under the

Lands Commission to simplify their operations to enable the public to realize the full benefits of the new Land

Administration Project (LAP). It was not only important for people to know the functions of the various agencies under the Commission but

also the processes and procedures that they needed to follow for acquisition of documents and land registration, he said. Mr Opoku-Manu said this in an address read for him at a public forum organized by the Ashanti Regional Lands

Commission on Wednesday. The forum, under the theme; "Promoting Better Understanding of Land Issues," was aimed at creating

awareness on the mandate, composition and functions of the Commission. It also provided the platform to engage the public in discussions on land issues with the view to promoting public

confidence in the land administration system. Mr Opoku-Manu said land issues were sensitive and there was the need for the Commission to evolve effective

strategies to reduce problems associated with land acquisition, registration and documentation. Dr Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah, Chairman of the Regional Lands Commission, said the Commission's new mandate

placed enormous responsibilities on it to deal with encroachment on public lands, nature reserves, waterways and tackle

land disputes. Added to these, were the disturbing mix of insecurity of land tenure, cumbersome procedure for land acquisition

and registration, activities of quack surveyors and corruption, he said. Dr Agyeman-Mensah said the Commission had taken some measures and was collaborating with the "Golden

Stool," traditional authorities and all stakeholders to ensure transparency. He said the Commission would promote effective community participation and public awareness campaigns to

win the support and confidence of the public in the land administration system in the region. Mr James Ebenezer Kobina Dadson, Regional Lands Officer, said the goal of the Commission was to provide

efficient and effective services. Nana Nsuase Poku Agyeman III, Ashanti Regional Stool Lands Officer, appealed to chiefs to help streamline the

land acquisition process by encouraging prospective developers to obtain all the necessary documents before developing

the land. This would provide the needed data to aid the stool land secretariat to collect ground rent and thereby pay

accurate royalties to them. Daasebre Osei Bonsu II, Asante Mamponghene, who chaired the function, pledged that the chiefs would work

with the Commission to remove bottlenecks in land administration in the region.