Government committed to increasing land ownership says Prime Minister Of The Bahamas

NASSAU, Bahamas -- In seeking to economically empower more citizens, the Government is committed to increasing land ownership among Bahamians, Prime Minister the Rt Hon Hubert A Ingraham said.

It is the Government’s policy to eliminate illegal occupation (squatting) of Crown land, Mr Ingraham revealed Monday in a communication to the House of Assembly on the Disposition of Crown and Government Owned Land.

It is widely acknowledged that historic, informal occupation of Crown or Government land for residential and commercial purposes has occurred throughout The Bahamas for generations, particularly in the Family Islands, he said.

Crown land made available for the development of a dwelling home by Bahamian citizens is granted in fee simple unless a lease purchase arrangement is sought by the applicant, Mr Ingraham explained.

“This policy was adopted as the Government recognised that banks and other financial institutions were unwilling to approve home construction mortgages to individuals who only held lease purchase agreements for Crown Land.

“Following the adoption of this policy, hundreds of individuals were able to acquire Crown land at concessionary rates and subsequently to qualify for mortgage loans from banks and other lending institutions,” he said.

Where occupants in the Family Islands establish that they have been on the land for a minimum of 10 years prior to 1992, land was typically granted at concessionary fee of two cents per square foot, said the Prime Minister.

In New Providence, accelerated efforts were made after 1992 to regularise the occupation of Crown and/or Government owned land in Carmichael Village, Mr. Ingraham said.

As a result, 36 Crown grants were issued to individuals, their estates, and to institutions.

As a general rule, Crown land occupied and developed without proper authorisation for less than 10-years prior to this Government’s re-election in 1992 were not considered eligible to be regularised at concessional rates, he said.

“However, where occupation existed for more than five years prior to 1992, and where development had taken place either by construction of a residence or of a business enterprise, land has generally been approved by my Government at concessionary rates ranging from four to seven cents per square foot,” Mr Ingraham said.

Concessionary rates have also been widely applied by the Government when applications for Crown land by Bahamians have been long delayed with costly results for applicants.

“Where recent unauthorised occupation and development of Crown land for periods of less than five years were discovered," he said, "my Government typically regularised the occupation either under lease purchase terms or at fee simple terms at the market rate per square foot.

“Given the initiative to address the backlog in applications for publicly owned lands and further regularised historic occupation of such lands since my Government’s first term in office, individuals who took-up unauthorised occupation of Crown land after 1992 are subject to eviction,” the Prime Minister said.