The government of Ghana has announced a series of reforms aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and efficiency in the administration of public lands across the country.
The Deputy Minister for Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Dr. Yusif Sulemana, who addressed a press conference on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, said the measures were introduced following directives from Cabinet. He explained that the reforms are being implemented by the Ministry in collaboration with the Lands Commission to restore integrity and order in the management of public lands.
As part of the new measures, the Ministry has introduced a revised premium payment structure for public land leases. Under the arrangement, applicants will be required to pay at least 70 percent of the assessed market value of a parcel of land upfront, while the remaining 30 percent will be paid gradually as ground rent over the duration of the lease.
According to the Deputy Minister, the initiative is expected to enhance government revenue while addressing the previous situation where individuals paid significantly different premiums for lands of similar value.
Hon. Sulemana further indicated that the government has revised the Public Land Application Form, popularly known as Form 5. The updated form will now serve as the single mandatory document for all public land applications across the country.
He explained that the revised form will be used for both fresh applications and reapplications by individuals whose earlier submissions were cancelled during the recent review of public land allocations.
To make the application process more accessible and efficient, the Lands Commission has been directed to upload the form onto its official website. This will allow applicants to download, complete and submit their forms electronically.
The Deputy Minister also disclosed that the Ministry has undertaken a thorough review of the internal procedures used by the Lands Commission in allocating public lands. Under the new system, each stage of the application process has been clearly outlined, with stronger verification and monitoring mechanisms introduced to promote transparency and accountability.
He added that no allocation of public land will be approved without the prior consent of the sector Minister, a move intended to enhance oversight and ensure that all allocations conform to government policies.
Another key reform involves the standardization of land market values across various estates nationwide. Hon. Sulemana said the Ministry and the Lands Commission have already compiled verified market values for several prime estates, including more than 30 estates within the Greater Accra Region.
These values, he noted, will be published on the Lands Commission’s website to guide the determination of land premiums and eliminate arbitrary pricing, thereby ensuring fairness and value for money in the allocation of public lands.
In addition, government will soon inaugurate a Public Land Protection Taskforce tasked with preventing encroachment on state lands, stopping unauthorized developments and ensuring that offenders are prosecuted.
As part of efforts to promote openness in the system, Hon. Sulemana announced that the Ministry will soon publish the list of all public land applications reviewed during the recent exercise, covering more than 8,000 cases. The publication will begin with applications from the Greater Accra Region and will be made available on the websites of both the Ministry and the Lands Commission.
He further disclosed that the temporary suspension placed on public land transactions has now been lifted, although all transactions will strictly follow the newly introduced reforms.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister revealed that the Ministry has initiated a procurement process to digitalize Ghana’s land administration system nationwide. The project, which will largely be financed through the internally generated funds of the Lands Commission, is expected to modernize land services and significantly reduce human interference in land-related transactions.
Source: Elvisanokye.com