Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has announced that the Lands Commission will establish offices in all districts across the country by the end of this year as part of the government’s RESET agenda to bring land services to the doorsteps of every Ghanaian.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Wednesday, the Minister disclosed that 19 new district offices in underserved areas have been identified so far, with the ministry working to decentralize the commission’s operations nationwide.

“As part of the RESET agenda to ensure that the administration of lands reaches the doorsteps of every Ghanaian, the Lands Commission has been instructed to decentralize its operations to all districts across the country,” the minister said.

The Minister explained that the initiative aims to bring land services closer to citizens, reduce congestion at regional offices, and strengthen land governance at the local level.

He emphasized that the move will make life more convenient for Ghanaians seeking land services.

“There’s no point in anybody in Elubo who wants land services, who has to travel to Takoradi to have land services. There’s no point. And so, this effort is going to make life very convenient for the people of Ghana, save them a lot of money and bring efficiency to the operations of the Lands Commission,” he stated.

The minister announced that the Lands Commission is also working towards a turnaround time of 30 days for the completion of land applications, addressing longstanding concerns about delays and bureaucracy in the system.

“We also are very much aware of delays and all the bureaucracy at the Lands Commission of giving a target of a 30-day turnaround time for our applications,” he said.

Mr Kofi-Buah revealed that the ministry has established a committee to conduct a review of all public land allocations to enhance transparency, accountability, and alignment with national development priorities.

“The committee is expected to complete its work and submit its report by August,” he disclosed.

The minister announced that the legislative instrument to fully operationalize the Land Act 2020 Act 1036 has been prepared and reviewed by the Attorney General’s Department.

Additionally, the commission has reviewed the 1999 National Land Policy to align with international best practices and emerging trends in land governance, with the updated policy expected to be finalized by December 2025.

“The President’s research agenda is to review the Land Act, to review the Lands Policy, and I already told review of the Minerals Policy. So, we are revamping all these policies to make sure to bring them to make sure the input of the people of Ghana is all addressed, basically to transform these sectors,” he explained.

He announced that the Lands Commission has collaborated with the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LASPA) and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to integrate local plans as base plans for land registration as part of government efforts to digitalize land services.

The minister said the commission has upgraded the enterprise land information system to enhance transparency, accountability, and public access to land-related information, which will be rolled out in all 16 regions.

The Minister acknowledged that some processes are currently on hold but assured that the ministry is working hard with the review committee.

He said once the reports are ready, President Mahama will lift the ban for affected areas, noting that the measures are necessary in the interest of Ghanaians.

The minister also reported that the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands has engaged with 548 communities, including traditional authorities, clan heads, and assemblies, to address challenges affecting revenue mobilization.

As of June 2025, the agency had mobilized and disbursed 63.8 million Ghana cedis to traditional authorities, clan heads, and assemblies across all regions except the Volta and Upper West regions, which are not stool land areas.

Richard Aniagyei, ISD