ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — More than 700 residents of St Elizabeth across 34 communities are now proud landowners under the Government’s Systematic Land Registration (SLR) Programme.

During the land titling ceremony held at the Lacovia Community Centre in the parish on Friday 50 residents received their titles.

In his remarks, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness said land titles are instruments of economic empowerment and building blocks of a safer and more prosperous Jamaica.

He reported that as of December 1, the National Land Agency (NLA) had distributed 9,577 certificates of title under the programme. Of that number, nearly 6,000 were handed over in St Elizabeth.

“For many, this title is the first piece of paper in generations that definitively states this land is yours. It formalises the sacrifices made by parents and grandparents and opens the door to new economic opportunities,” Holness stated.

He explained that under the programme, the government has taken on the legal cost of surveying the land.

“We have taken on the fees for surveying, and we have set up a system of processing these titles to ensure that Jamaicans can regularise ownership and secure their land,” he noted.

Through the SLR programme, persons who have been in open, undisturbed, and undisputed possession of land for 12 years or more are afforded the opportunity to obtain titles for these lands.

The initiative is playing a key role in increasing socio-economic security and stability, by affording persons the opportunity to acquire property.

Meanwhile, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development with responsibility for Land Titling and Settlements, Robert Montague, described the event as historic. He underscored the reach of the programme across the parish.

“Communities like Lacovia, Essex Valley, Flagaman, Southfield, Rose Hall, Tryall, Top Hill… just to name a few, are benefiting from this. For many of you, this is the first time in your family’s history that the land you live on, farm on, and have raised your children on will finally bear your name,” he said.

— JIS