Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Prof. Anthony Owusu-Ansah, has outlined major reforms and achievements being pursued by the Commission to modernize land administration in Ghana.
Speaking at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources Media Engagement on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Prof. Owusu-Ansah said the Commission remains committed to supporting government's development agenda through policy reforms, digital transformation, improved infrastructure and decentralization.
New National Land Policy To Replace 1999 Policy
Prof. Owusu-Ansah disclosed that government is developing a new National Land Policy to replace the existing 1999 policy.
"It is our commitment that the new policy reflects current national priorities and responds effectively to emerging land governance challenges," he said.
He revealed that an inception workshop was held on October 6 and 7, 2026 with traditional authorities, MMDAs, MDAs, civil society groups, academia, development partners and the media, with further stakeholder consultations to follow. The review is expected to be completed in 2027.
On the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), he said processes towards a Legislative Instrument (LI) to operationalize the Act are at an advanced stage. The revised draft has been forwarded to Parliament after consultations and approval is expected before the end of 2026.
ELIS Cuts Search Time From One Month To 7 Days
The Executive Secretary said the Commission has made significant progress in digitization through the Enterprise Land Information System (ELIS).
As of September 2026, ELIS has been enhanced in Greater Accra and extended to nine additional regions – Eastern, Western, Volta, Western North, Oti, Bono East, Savannah, North East and Ahafo.
"Members of the public can now apply for official land searches online... reducing the turnaround time for official searches from approximately one month to an average of seven working days," Prof. Owusu-Ansah stated.
He added that ELIS will be launched at the Ashanti Regional Office before the end of November 2026, with full rollout across all regions expected by the end of 2027.
To bring services closer to the people, the Commission is decentralizing by establishing district offices in selected MMDAs, with 36 facilities currently being renovated and furnished.
On surveying, he announced that 51 Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) have been established as of September 2026 in collaboration with LiSAG and a private partner to improve accuracy of surveying and geospatial data nationwide.
Infrastructure and Ground Rent
Prof. Owusu-Ansah gave updates on infrastructure projects, noting that construction of regional offices in Savannah, Upper East and Western Regions is about 50% complete while the Central Regional Office project has resumed, with all expected to be completed by 2027.
The final phase of the Greater Accra Regional Office complex has been completed and is being furnished, while procurement is underway for the Tema District Office building after receiving commitment authorisation from the Ministry of Finance.
On revenue mobilization, the Commission has collected GH¢40.7 million in ground rent as of August 2026, representing 90.4% of the annual target of GH¢45 million, surpassing the GH¢32.02 million collected in the whole of 2025.
A digital platform for ground rent mobilization is being piloted in selected estates in Greater Accra.
The Executive Secretary issued a stern warning to lessees of State and vested lands.
"Ground rent must be paid annually even without demand notice. Legal procedures against defaulters will be fully rolled out in 2027. Lessees should update records via KYC Form on the Commission's website. Expired leases must be renewed to avoid legal consequences," he cautioned.
He added that the Commission is facilitating land acquisition and compensation for key national projects including the Ashaiman Roundabout, Akosombo Road, Motorway Roundabout-Dawhenya Road, Kumasi Outer Ring Road, Suame Interchange, GRIDCo's Accra-Kumasi Corridor, Petroleum Hub at Jomoro and Phase III of the Appiatse Resettlement Project.
"The Lands Commission remains committed to delivering on its mandate and contributing to government's vision of a modern, efficient and responsive land administration system," Prof. Owusu-Ansah concluded.
