400,000 title deeds for registration by next June

Maureen odunga

THE Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Mr William Lukuvi, has said his ministry intends to register at least 400,000 title deeds across the country by June next year.

Mr Lukuvi said this in Dar es Salaam yesterday during the Tanzania Land Surveyors Conference and First Annual General Meeting 2016, citing that the move will assist the government to collect its property taxes.
“I will personally supervise the exercise to ensure that all Tanzanians who own surveyed land obtain title deeds in a month’s time,” promised Mr Lukuvi.
He called on the country’s private land surveyors to allocate affordable prices that will enable citizens who own land to access the service.
“I call upon you to assist the people to acquire secure titles so as to enable the country to obtain a master plan in future,” he noted.
The minister also advised private surveyors to recommend and supply him with a list surveying prices in the case of plots, farms, residential homes and building.
It is vital for people to learn of the prices so as to promote transparency and competition in the area.
“In the case of the government, the price is known whereby due to raised concerns by members of the public it was cut from the previous 800,000/- to 300,000/Since there are few government surveyors to manage the countrywide planning therefore, the task is channelled to the private surveyors,” he said
. Mr Lukuvi was of the views that most developed countries success stories were attained due to proper planning that facilitated tax collection that boosts their national incomes.
He urged officials of the ministry responsible with authorising title deeds to shun away from all forms of bureaucracy that would jeopardise their professional codes of ethics.
“I have received information that some officials own private companies a factor that leads to place their work by the companies in the forefront and leaving the rest behind,’’ the minister reported.
Mr Lukuvi stressed that the director responsible with title deeds should be very careful as some unscrupulous officials and surveyors tend to collude in the attainment of deeds.
He warned all dishonest officials and surveyors to stop their illegal doing as for those working for the government should stick to their office roles only to avoid such conflict of interest.
“I recommend the work done by the private surveyors but I urge you to come up with a specific form of identification that will identify you as being recognised by the government.
Please immediately revoke the licences of those dishonest surveyors that are tarnishing your good image,” Mr Lukuvi directed.
On his part, the President of the Institution of Surveyors of Tanzania (IST), Mr Martins Chodota, noted that any kind of development depended on proper land management.
“The role of this meeting is to assist the ministry to proper land management use as the theme states ‘the role of surveyors on the national Five Years Development Plan 2016/17 – 2021,’” noted Mr Chodota.
He said among challenges facing private surveyors were unpaid debts by municipal councils for their contracted work.