MWANZA: THE government will continue strengthening land surveying and title deed issuance to enable citizens to use land as an economic asset and unlock development opportunities, Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Dr Leonard Akwilapo, has said.
Dr Akwilapo made the remarks recently while handing over 527 land titles to residents of Solwe Village in Kwimba District, Mwanza Region.
He said land titles enable citizens to use their property as collateral to access loans from financial institutions, thereby stimulating investment, business growth and household development.
The minister said the government remains committed to expanding land surveying across the country to reduce and eventually eliminate land disputes that continue to hinder development in some areas.
Kwimba District Council Land Officer, Mr Joshua Majimbe, said the district has 119 villages, of which 97 qualify for the preparation of land use plans.
He said 24 villages have already prepared land use plans in collaboration with the National Land Use Planning Commission, while 22 villages have been officially gazetted.
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Despite the progress, Mr Majimbe said implementation of land surveying and title deed issuance has been constrained by inadequate funding and a shortage of staff in the council’s Lands Department.
To address the challenge, he said the council entered into agreements with private surveying firms to prepare Customary Certificates of Right of Occupancy (CCROs) in 15 villages earmarked for land use planning in 2023.
The firms were allocated project areas under formal memoranda of understanding to accelerate surveying and issuance of land titles to residents