COMMISSIONER OF LANDS: MINISTRY OF LANDS NEEDS PROACTIVE MEASURES TO UPROOT LAND CORRUPTION.
Commissioner of Lands Nelson Naoapu at a symposium recently. Photo credit: customarylandsolutions.com
The Lands Commissioner believes proactive measures should be taken within the Ministry to uproot the causes of land corruption.
Mr Nelson Naoapu says awareness programs should be provided to educate Solomon Islanders on land acquirement procedures.
“Just because of the demand and supply so one proactive approach here is that maybe we open up more land to meet the high demand to boost the supply of land in Honiara.”
Commissioner Naoapu says more land should be made available or open in Honiara, to meet the demands of the people.
“The Ministry can do it in many ways, one is through producing pamphlets as public information and the other one is through a radio program with SIBC in which the Ministry would go on-air to explain the process and procedures as well as its other roles and responsibilities.”
Another proactive action the Commissioner highlighted is for the Government to improve the salary scale of officers within the Ministry.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Lands Mr. Nelson Naoapu says the public’s ignorance on land procedures is one of the root causes of corruption within the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey.
Commissioner Naoapu was speaking on the recent notice for members of the public to report allegations against officers within his Ministry.
He says one of the root causes as to why corruption has bred within the Ministry is because the public is ignorant about land acquirement procedures.
“The lack of awareness by our people has caused the officers to take advantage of it so they can participate in corrupt dealings.”
The lands Commissioner says another cause is the scarcity of land available for people.
“Like in Honiara, the demand verses supply, high demand vurses supply, meaning that there is land scarcity so people are under pressure and at times they come forward and use their influence to exert pressure on the staff to get a piece of land.”
The third cause he highlighted is the pressure officers within the Ministry are facing, trying to cope with today’s cost of living.