APA – Accra (Ghana)
The report that the Lands Commission is to roll out an online portal for the submission, processing and approval of cadastral plans for registration and other services by the end of the first quarter of this year is one of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Wednesday.
The Graphic reports that the Lands Commission is to roll out an online portal for the submission, processing and approval of cadastral plans for registration and other services by the end of the first quarter of this year.
The initiative, which is a collaboration between the commission and the Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana (LISAG), will make it mandatory for all licensed surveyors to interact with the commission through the portal.
The acting Executive Secretary of the commission, Benjamin Arthur, said the move was part of comprehensive reforms to improve land administration in the country.
“This new process is to ensure that the commission deals only with qualified and certified surveyors and holds them accountable for the services they deliver.
“It is also to introduce more security features on our barcoded cadastral plans and significantly improve the turnaround time for plan approval to one week,” he said.
Mr Arthur, who stated this at the launch of the commission’s strategic business plan and staff awards scheme in Accra, said the procurement of required equipment and logistics had been completed for implementation of the initiative.
The executive secretary further said in collaboration with the National Identification Authority (NIA), the commission would enforce the verification of the identities of guarantors and guarantees through the use of the Ghana Card.
“We may well get to the point of no Ghana Card, no registration.
The newspaper says that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in a heartfelt message, conveyed warm regards to His Royal Majesty, King Charles III, the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth.
The President expressed his sentiments on behalf of the people and Government of Ghana, as well as his wife, Rebecca, the First Lady.
The tweet, posted earlier today, emphasized the global community’s solidarity during these challenging times. King Charles III is currently undergoing cancer treatment, and the entire British Royal Family remains in the thoughts and prayers of many.
“On behalf of the people and Government of Ghana, and on behalf of my wife Rebecca, the First Lady, I send best wishes to His Royal Majesty, King Charles III, King of the United Kingdom and Head of the Commonwealth, as he undergoes treatment for cancer” President Akufo-Addo posted on X. .
“In these difficult times, our thoughts and prayers are with the British Monarch, his wife, Queen Camilla and the entire British Royal Family, and I join the global community in wishing him strength, courage, and a swift and complete recovery”
The President’s compassionate words reflect the shared concern for King Charles III’s well-being globally.
The Ghanaian Times reports that the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has asked Members of Parliament (MPs) to ensure the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill and the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, also know as the anti LGBTQ bill, is passed before the House rises.
These, he said, should be passed without further delay, urging the MPs to work on them expeditiously.
Delivering his opening remark at the commencement of the first meeting of the 4th session of the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic, the speaker said; “… As we begin our sittings, we have before us the Affirmative Action Bill, which we must strive to pass before the end of this session. The same applies to the Bill on Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values; we must pass these two bills without any further delay. The Parliamentary Transition Bill and the Community Service Bill are the critical bills: we must work on expeditiously.
“Hon. Members, in just a matter of weeks, we will be presented with the 31st State Of the Nation Address under the Fourth Republic. We have a responsibility to keep the executive informed of the feel and sense of the people, we represent and not patronise leadership. We have to work together in the inter¬est of our dear nation,” he said.
He added that a total of 82 indicative bills are in the agenda of Parliament.
These include the Aged Persons Bill 2023, the Competition Bill, 2023; Small Scale Mining Bill, 2023, among others.
In addition, 170 papers, 41 motions and various petitions have been captured to be
presented, moved or heard. — ghanaweb.com
The newspaper says that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has been given a month ultimatum to disburse compensation totaling GH¢1.4 million to farmers, who had their poultry birds destroyed due to the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza disease, between 2015 and 2018.
Out of the 41 farmers, only 16 have been paid compensation so far, although the money had been released to the MoFA for onward payment to beneficiaries, since 2022.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament issued the ultimatum in Accra yesterday, when officials of the MoFA appeared before the committee, to provide responses to audit infractions captured in the 2022 Auditor General’s report.
The report found that following the release of GH¢1,999,768.10 by the Ministry of Finance for the payment of compensation to farmers affected by the outbreak of disease from 2015 to 2018, only GH¢191,730.00 was paid to 10 farmers, leaving GH¢1,808,038.10 unaccounted for.
In response, Abdul Rashid Tahiru, Financial Controller, MoFA, noted that following the audit, an additional GH¢345,000 had been paid to some affected farmers, who presented the birds’ destruction certificate.
He explained that the farmers, who were yet to receive compensation, failed to submit the relevant documentation, including the destruction certificate and personal bank details for onward processing for payment.
Mr Tahiru said the release from the Ministry of Finance covered birds destroyed from 2015 to 2018 and 2021 due to the outbreak of the disease.
He added that “currently, we have paid compensation to all the farmers who had their birds destroyed in 2021. Those yet to be paid were affected in 2015 to 2018 and we are expecting them to submit the necessary documentation to MoFA for onward payment.”
GIK/APA