Minister of Planning and Development Camille Robinson-Regis says each parcel of land in Tobago will be given a unique identifying number, similar to the one found given on birth certificates and the process will begin in January 2019.
She made the comment during yesterday’s post-Cabinet media briefing at the Magdalena Grande Resort in Tobago.
“Each parcel will be carefully identified, just as we have a unique identifier for births and deaths in Trinidad and Tobago ... each parcel of land will be treated similarly,” Robinson-Regis told reporters.
She said the process will require GIS mapping, which will be done by the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries and the appointment of surveyors to ensure each parcel of land is accurately surveyed and recorded in the Registrar General Department and at the Ministry of Agriculture.
Robinson-Regis said the Government passed six pieces of legislation which were assented to by the President to address the land tenure issues.
“They are the Valuation of Land Amendment Act, 2018; the Property Tax Amendment Act, 2018; the Registration of Titles to Land Amendment Act, 2018; the State Suites Limitation Act, 2018; the Land Tribunal Amendment Act, 2018 and the Land Adjudication Amendment Act 2018,” she announced.
The amended laws seek to ensure that the situation that has plagued Tobago with regard to land titles are rectified, she said.
Robinson-Regis said the matter relating to the route of land titles, which gives a history of the ownership of the land at different periods of time, will also be addressed through the amended laws.
“We are hoping that the route of titles will be cleared so that persons who have difficulty identifying the route of their titles for their land, the legislation is going to clear that.”
She said the Government will undertake the cost of the entire land title project.