Prime Minister Dr.  Andrew Holness has announced that the Government is finalising plans to make lands held by public entities available to Jamaicans through a structured process aimed at expanding legal access to property ownership.

The initiative is expected to create new opportunities for citizens to acquire land while advancing the Government’s broader programme to regularise land tenure, strengthen property rights and promote orderly development across the island.

“I have called all the entities that have a land bank and I said, give me all the lands that you have that can be made available. It will be a competitive process, but we know the issues with equity. Some people can afford; some can’t. The only reason it has not yet been implemented is that we have to figure out how we can ensure that those people who can’t afford it, can still get access,” the Prime Minister disclosed.

The announcement was made today (June 18) at the Ackee Walk and Jackson Town Land Titling Ceremony at the Meadowbrook Church of Christ in St. Andrew, where 40 residents received Certificates of Title.

Addressing the ceremony, Dr. Holness underscored the importance of secure land ownership in protecting citizens’ rights, building intergenerational wealth and supporting Jamaica’s long-term development.

“Titling enshrines ownership in the minds of the people. But ownership comes with responsibility. When you own something, you become a steward. You manage it,” Dr. Holness said, adding that ownership creates a sense of responsibility and stewardship that benefits not only individual families but also communities and the wider society.

The Prime Minister warned that the continued growth of informal settlements is limiting Jamaica’s development potential by restricting the use of land for housing, transportation, sewage infrastructure and other critical public investments.

“People are moving onto land and using social injustice issues as a basis for doing it without recognising that their individual actions are limiting the development options of the country and limiting their own options,” he said.

He added that “the communities that are created cannot be safe, will not be adequately serviced and have no economic value in terms of passing on intergenerational wealth.”

The Ackee Walk and Jackson Town communities were declared under the Registration of Titles, Cadastral Mapping and Tenure Clarification (Special Provisions) Act in October 2024, enabling the Government to accelerate the resolution of longstanding tenure issues complicated by estate matters, family disputes and historical ownership challenges.

Meanwhile, Minister with responsibility for Land Titling and Settlements, Hon. Robert Montague, encouraged beneficiaries to safeguard their newly acquired assets and urged other Jamaicans to pursue the formalisation of their land holdings.

“It is not a piece of paper you are getting,” Minister Montague said. “You are getting hope, opportunity, security and something to leave for your children.”

The Minister also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to orderly development, warning against squatting on public lands and attempts to acquire property through unlawful means.