JAMAICANS WILL soon be able to access selected land information via the Internet.
The National Land Agency (NLA) has received a US$196,000 grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to assist in the development of its 'eLandjamaica' service.
The 'eLandjamaica' service will allow users to access information from the Land Titles and Land Valuation databases. Individuals will be able to view and print copies of Land Valuation Reports and Certificates of Title, as well as other data, using reference data such as property addresses and valuation numbers. They will also be able to access reports containing information relating to records of sales transactions.
A key purpose for the implementation of this new service was identified, by Minister of Information, Senator Burchell Whiteman, as the high incidence of fraudulent activities in respect of transactions affecting the Certificates of Title and the resulting loss of revenue which continue to be of concern and involve a significant amount of the resources of the NLA. He was speaking at the weekly post-Cabinet press briefing on Tuesday at Jamaica House.
"In the majority of cases, investigations are frustrated as a result of the destruction and alteration of existing paper records," Senator Whiteman explained. He pointed out that the conversion of data from paper to electronic format has been accepted worldwide as the best route to limiting fraud and corruption with regard to land registration.
"The service has been launched but is in a trial phase where it's being tested by 50 customers," Adrienne Austin, public relations officer at the NLA, told The Gleaner on Wednesday. These customers will use the site free of cost for the duration of the assessment period.
Persons who would like to use the service will be required to go to either of the NLA offices, on Hanover Street or Ardenne Road, and open an account from which charges will be deducted. The cost, to users, of the service has not yet been determined as the Chief Parliamentary Counsel is in the process of preparing new regulations, stipulating fees to be charged.
According to Ms. Austin, the service will be fully operational in April of this year. However, individuals and organisations requiring the service can open accounts now in order to avoid a possible rush in the coming months.
Cabinet has approved a proposal for the NLA to keep 100 per cent of the fees collected from the service for five years. The revenue will be used for the continuation of the development of the system.
The NLA is an executive agency responsible for handling land management issues on behalf of the Jamaican Government.
