Ackee Walk, Jackson Town residents to get land titles

The Government is taking steps to regularise landownership in Ackee Walk and Jackson Town in St Andrew North Western, enabling residents to obtain titles for properties they have lived on for several years.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness said the Government will be issuing a ministerial order to declare these two communities under the Registration of Titles, Cadastral Mapping and Tenure Clarification (Special Provisions) Act. This will involve the establishment of an adjudication committee to ascertain boundaries and resolve disputes, paving the way for the eventual transfer of titles to the rightful owners.

Addressing a town hall at Meadowbrook Church of Christ on Monday, Holness assured the residents of the Government's commitment to resolving this long-standing challenge of obtaining titles.

"We do lament that it has taken some time but it is happening now; and for that I am very happy for you, and I look forward to touring these areas and seeing you as landowners," he said.

Holness argued that if residents are empowered as owners of their property, it eliminates the space for dons to come in and establish dominance, under the guise of providing protection.

"One of the reasons why communities don't fully develop when they start from a process of informality is this issue of established ownership. So, in our intervention in the communities, we want to give you full ownership of your property, so that you can become the master of your property and become the warden of peace in your community," he said, adding that the aim is to resolve any land dispute issues once occupancy and possession are established.

"We have to get these lands surveyed and, in some instances, resurveyed... . This expedited process is being done right across Jamaica in selected communities, but we are really focused on Kingston and St Andrew," he noted.