More Jamaicans to Receive Titles Under Systematic Land Registration Programme

The Government will be taking its Systematic Land Registration Programme across the island, providing security of tenure for thousands of families, says Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, Hon. Robert Montague.

He was speaking at the Lacovia Community Centre St. Elizabeth on Friday (December 12) where 700 residents across 34 communities were presented with land titles under the programme.

“St. Elizabeth is just the beginning. Across Jamaica, 276 communities have already been declared under the systematic adjudication process and many more families will receive the same opportunity you are receiving now,” Minister Montague said.

Aimed at increasing the levels of land registration in Jamaica, the programme, being implemented by the National Land Agency (NLA), assists persons who have been in open, undisturbed and undisputed possession of their land for 12 years or more, to claim ownership of such land via the Systematic Land Registration Process.

Surveyors and lawyers are brought into the communities to streamline property titling, with legal and survey costs covered upfront to reduce the financial barriers to formalising land ownership.

Minister Montague, who has responsibility for Land Titling and Settlements, said that the titling ceremony comes at a pivotal moment for communities affected by loss and disruption following Hurricane Melissa.

He said that having a title in hand will help restore confidence and provide long-term security for affected households.

“We are here today as a part of that national healing because, today, amidst the loss, you have received the security, ownership and a future you can stand on for generations to come,” he noted.

He highlighted the importance of land ownership in sustaining families and livelihoods in St. Elizabeth.

“In our nation’s breadbasket, where so many families depend on the land to survive and to feed Jamaica, land security is the difference between instability and prosperity,” Minister Montague pointed out.

He encouraged beneficiaries to recognise the broader significance of receiving their land titles for their families and for future generations.

“To everyone receiving a title today, this is your story. A story of resilience. A story of hope. A story of families who have refused to give up,” the Minister emphasised.