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By Bonifacio Taban Kuich
November 4, 2011 (BENTIU) - A new land policy registration office in South Sudan’s Unity state has proved controversial, asking citizens to pay around 1,500SSP (approx. $560) for a now mandatory land ownership certificate.
Local people have told Sudan Tribune that this will mean that the rich will be able to to take land from poorer citizens who cannot afford to pay the fee.
The Unity state governor, Taban Deng Gai, and the speaker of legislative assembly witnessed the chairman of Bentiu high court open land registration policy office this week.
Unity is the fifth state to open a land registry office after N. Bhar el Gazal, Warrap and W. Bhar-el-Gazal. The president of high court of Unity state Benjamin Bak said at the ceremony that it was important for everyone to have a certificate for the land they own.
“I agree with the governor’s request, since we came in the state in 2006, the governor of the state requested [a] land registration office. We have complete[d] all the process requirement from the national government in July, with approval through the chairman of the high court in the republic of South [Sudan] now we [can] confirm our operation [has] started,” said Bak.
Governor Gai said that he welcomed the opening of the office and said the office would assist in fighting corruption and prevent illegal land grabbing. He thanked citizens for standing by the government, describing the opening office as very important.
He urged the whole state to register their land and said documentation would now be needed to prove ownership of land.
However, Simon Majak Deng, a local resident in Unity state told Sudan Tribune he was not happy with the registration fee claiming it more than doubled since before the office was established.
Previously land was registered and surveyed by the ministry of physical infrastructure for a fee of around 600SSP ($225), he said.
Unity state, which borders north Sudan, has received a high number of returnees who came from Khartoum, both before and after South Sudan’s independence in July. Many returnees and long term residents do not have the funds to pay for the new land certificate.
(ST)
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