The Executives of Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS) have officially launched the institutions’ 18th Surveyors’ Week and 54th Annual General Meeting (AGM) to highlight on land amd its efficient and effective administration.
About GhIS
The Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhiS] is the professional body responsible for the
training and certification of Surveyors in Ghana.
The Institution comprises three
Surveying disciplines namely, the Quantity Surveying Division, the Valuation & Estate
Surveying Division, and the Land Surveying Division, with a combined membership of
close to three thousand (3,000) working across the length and breadth of Ghana, and some abroad. Our professionals in Ghana work in almost all the public agencies and
departments of Government, local authorities, financial institutions, customary
authorities, not-for-profit organisations and the private sector, providing vital services
and advice for the proper functioning of these entities.
Among the objectives of the Institution is securing the advancement and facilitafing
the acquisition of that knowledge which constitutes the profession ofa Surveyor,
maintain and promote the usefulness of the profession for the public good and further
the national and international recognition and understanding for the profession and
its various disciplines.
Addressing the media at the launch, Surv. Rev. Mrs. Rosemargaret Esubonteng, the President of GhIS, indicated that as part of the Institution’s annual calendar, a week is reserved to host the Surveyors Week and Annual General Meeting.
According to Mrs. Esubonteng, the Surveyors’ Week is intended to enable the Institution to have its members congregate and deliberate on issues regarding the profession and national issues pertaining to the built environment.
The theme is for the 2023 event is “Transforming Land Administration In Ghana: the Role of the Surveying Professional.”
Touching on Challenges, the convener, disclosed that there are Major challenges in Ghana land administration.
Speaking further, Mrs. Esubonteng mentioned that the disconnect between the land and its resources and how it is managed is huge due to several factors that include:
A large and unwieldy public sector dominance of land administration processes authorised by law, multiple laws, rules & regulations which grant powers and authority to many state agencies operating independently, Duality in land ownership and control as a result of legislation, customary law, and operations of state agencies, Hazy Customary law, land holding hierarchies and uncertainty in land boundary coverages, High level of ‘unauthorised’ dealings as a result of flagrant disregard for rules & regulations and non-enforcement of basic laws leading to encroachment of public lands, Numerous litigations arising from multiplicity of dealings by different actors mostly acting based on misinformation or mischief, thus clogging the courts systems With numerous cases.
Notwithstanding the above challenges, Mrs. Esubonteng disclosed that, there have been Some Interventions in the Land Sector which
attempts at grappling with issues on efficient and effective land administration have largely focused on legal frameworks and policies.
According to the statement, with the preparation of the 1999 Ghana Land Policy, a range of policy actions were commenced mainly with external donor assistance culminafing in the Ghana Land Administrafion Frojects I&II which were implemented between 2003 and 2018 The focus of this intervention was
1. Harmonisation of the policy and legislative framework for land administration.
2.Institutional reform including the customary sector.
3. Provision of basic tools for land administration operations in the form of modern maps, equipment and information systems as well as Continuous Operating Reference Stations (CORS).
4. Capacity building of land administration officials, customary authorities and non-governmental organisations (NGO) involved in land administration.
The president of GhIS seized the opportunity to announce activities earmarked for the celebration as follows;
Saturday 18th February Family Day Out and Medical Talk at the Aviation Social Centre.
Monday 20th February – Press Conference and Launch of the 18th Surveyors Week
and 54th AGM, and a Coporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Activity.
Tuesday 21st February – Young surveyors Network Activity & Orientation for Newly
Qualified Members, at Cedi Centre, university
of Ghana, Legon.
Wednesday 22nd February – Induction of Newly Qualified Members and Elevation to
Class of Fellows, and Women in suveying Activities, at Cedi Centre, University of
Ghana, Legon.
Thursday 23rd February – Formal Opening of Conference and Presentation of Papers
at cedi Conference Centre, University of Ghana, Legon.
Friday 24th February Presidential Lecture and AGM at Cedi conference Centre, University of
Ghana, Legon.
Saturday 25th February Presidential Ball at fhe Fantasy Dome, La Accra.
Sunday 26th February – Inter-Religious (Chrisfian & Moslem) Thanksgiving Service at the Forecourt of the GhIS Secretariat.
By Kingsley Asiedu
ghanavoice 