Thursday, September 8, 2016

Land row on check as Valuation Bill tabled

DAILY NEWS Reporters
THE government presented in the National Assembly yesterday the Valuation and Valuers Bill 2016, which seeks to expedite compensation on land as well as checking land disputes arising from unethical valuers in the country.

Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development Minister William Lukuvi tabled the schedule for debate and eventually approval by the House, outlining a number of benefits that the envisaged legislation will introduce in the land sector.
“The Bill is a continuation of the National Land Policy of 1995; the envisaged legislation will put in place regulations and formation of aboard to oversee the conduct and performance of valuers,” he explained.
Mr Lukuvi further noted that the valuation industry was currently facing a number of challenges, including unethical and unqualified valuers who are responsible for fueling land disputes in many parts of the country.
“Due to lack of regulations there have been complaints on delays in payments of compensation as well as deliberate under and over valuation which eventually hold back swift implementation of development projects,” he explained.
The Bill was well received with the opposition camp in the National Assembly, challenging the government to be pro-active in enforcement of the legislation. The opposition, through Shadow Minister for the ministry, Mr Wilfred Lwakatare (Bukoba Urban-Chadema), however, called for harmonisation of other legislations covering the land sector.
It recommended further that the proposed Chief Valuer office should be made independent as it is with the Controller and Auditor General (CAG).
Among others, the envisaged legislation has set a maximum of six months to effect compensation for acquired land, failure of which the person or institution wishing to acquire the land will have to pay interests for each six months.
The Bill stipulates further that the evaluation will be considered to have been terminated if compensation has not been made after two years.

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