A delegation from the Attorney Generals Chambers Lands Division returned from a study tour where they observed the modern integrated Land Registry, Cadastre and Estate Management systems of the National Land Agency (NLA), Jamaica on Thursday, 30th April 2015.
Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI), with its fully registered and digitised cadastre of land, was among the leaders in the region in Land Registration and Mapping. However, over the past two decades, TCI has not made much progression from its digitised base layers.
The next step for TCI is the implementation of an integrated web-based system for land administration, which would lead to a more efficient service for conveyancing and better land management. This would allow for e-conveyancing, electronic document tracking, digital access to property sales data, automated lease management, among other thing.
Members of the TCI team included Commissioner of Lands, Tatum Clerveaux, James Fritz and Gervin Simmons, Director (acting) and Assistant Director (acting) of the Survey & Mapping Department respectively, Naomi Been and Ketietta Simpson, Assistant Registrar and Registry Clerk of the Land Registry respectively, and Shaaban Hoza, Chief Valuation Officer, Valuation Department.
Leading the delegation Mrs. Clerveaux stated; “The NLA study tour is part of the Lands Division’s initiative to examine a range of IT solutions available to improve land administration and management in the TCI, due to the similarities in the organisational structure, practices and procedures, and advances made in automated land administration.
“The NLA was selected as one of two jurisdictions that the Lands Division will explore the IT options available for improving property registration and their potential impact on existing registration policies and procedures; as well as to identify an appropriate solution for the local context. Our team will visit Cayman or Bermuda this year to observe their operation.”
Mr. Simmons added; “We were provided with the unique opportunity to engage in an educational work exchange, interact with Jamaican colleagues and understand how the Divisions of the NLA interface through a firsthand look at the Land Registry, Parcel Data Management and Estate Management systems currently in place. “
