House lot identification exercises will include digitally recorded coordinates, photographs and signed acknowledgements from November 1, as the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) moves to address instances of allottees building on the wrong properties.
Housing Minister Collin Croal outlined the new geo-referencing system during a visit to Bartica, according to an October 23 release from the Ministry of Housing.
The system, which is undergoing testing, will be used at CH&PA lot identification exercises nationwide. It is intended to create a reliable record of the land shown to each beneficiary, helping to prevent disputes over incorrectly occupied lots.
Under the arrangement, surveyors will use tablets to electronically record the precise coordinates and reference points of residential lots. Photographs will also be taken to document the allottee’s presence during the identification exercise.
Beneficiaries will then digitally sign an acknowledgement confirming that they were shown their allocated lots and that the relevant coordinates were recorded. They can also request copies of those coordinates for future reference.
“This is being introduced to safeguard the allottee as well as the agency,” Croal said.
The minister explained that the records will provide an additional means of verifying what took place during the identification exercise, giving both CH&PA and beneficiaries documented evidence.
He urged allottees to ensure they are shown all four boundary markers, commonly known as paals, before accepting identification of their properties.
Croal cautioned against relying only on housing layout plans or making assumptions about a lot’s location, noting that these practices have contributed to persons constructing on land allocated to others.
He also reminded beneficiaries that, after CH&PA identifies their lots, they must monitor and maintain the boundary markers, particularly if construction will not begin immediately.
The ministry said the initiative forms part of the government’s wider digital transformation programme to improve efficiency, transparency and public service delivery.
