Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Ministry of Lands says a new digital system could reduce the time needed to process land lease documents to just three days, as the government moves to address years of delays and a growing backlog in land administration.
Lands Minister Ahmat N.K. Bah made the disclosure in Parliament on Tuesday while responding to a report by the Select Committee on Regional Government, Lands, Ombudsman,, and IEC on its performance audit of land registration and documentation.
Minister Bah said the ministry inherited a system in which some applicants had waited three, four, or even five years to receive their lease documents.
He said efforts were now underway to clear the backlog, with the ministry processing an average of 50 files a week.
“With the new program, in three days you can have your lease when everything, the documentation on the devices, is complete,” Bah told deputies.
Digitalization of Land Services
The minister acknowledged shortcomings in the existing land administration system, including lost files and lengthy processing times.
He said the ministry was introducing digitalization with support from the World Bank, adding that contracts had already been awarded and the process was nearing completion.
The new system is expected to make it easier to track applications and reduce delays associated with the handling of physical files.
Regional Offices to Bring Services Closer
The ministry is also developing regional offices to decentralize land services and reduce the need for applicants to travel to Banjul.
Minister Bah cited the planned office in Wassu, Central River Region North, as part of the effort to bring land registration and documentation services closer to communities.
The reforms are intended to modernize land administration, address the existing backlog, and improve access to land documentation services across the country.
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