Conference on Management of Commercial Properties Opens in Mo-Bay

A two-day conference on Valuation, Administration and Management of Commercial Properties is currently underway at the Hilton, Rose Hall Hotel, in Montego Bay, St. James.

The event,  being staged jointly by the International Property Tax Institute (IPTI) and the Royal Institutions of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), was officially opened today (May 3), by Minister of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Robert Pickersgill.

In his address, the Minister said that the conference could not have come at a better time, as the Government is now in the process of dealing with a very critical tax reform programme for the country. 

He emphasized the government’s commitment to efficient and effective land management and administration, pointing out that this level of commitment dates back to  1914, when the Local Improvements Act was enacted, among others. 

The Minister mentioned the emphasis placed on efficient and effective planning, development and land management, with the merging four agencies to form the National Land Agency (NLA), which is aimed at providing critical land information systems.                                                                                                                           

“This was done in an effort which informed the process of Land valuation, land surveying, land administration and title registration under one umbrella,” he stated.

Mr. Pickersgill cited other developments that have taken place in the country, which he says, is in keeping with the government’s policy and thrust to increase vital access to land information for professionals in land valuation, surveying, planning and development.

He traced the history of the RICS, which goes back to 1792, and the long affiliation of local surveyors with that organisation.

The Minister said the Government is pleased with the recent establishment of RICS Americas, with offices in New York, USA, and even more so with the establishment of RICS Caribbean.  “This branch now provides much more convenient contact between Jamaica and the institution,” he noted.

Over the two days delegates will be exposed to developments in the area of property taxes, and participate in discussions on to valuation, administration and management of commercial properties.

By Bryan Miller, JIS Reporter