Forty St Andrew residents receive land titles at Aki Walk and Jackson Town ceremony

Forty residents of Aki Walk and Jackson Town in St Andrew are among the latest beneficiaries of the Government's land titling programme, as authorities advance plans to make public lands available for lawful acquisition by Jamaicans. Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness announced the handover during a ceremony in the communities, where certificates of title were presented to the group.

Dr Holness said public entities have been directed to identify land that can be released through a structured and competitive process aimed at expanding property ownership nationwide. He emphasised that securing title is vital to protecting citizens' rights, noting that physical possession alone does not shield holders from being dispossessed.

"The ownership remains insecure. The law says possession is 9/10 of it. But not because you have it means that having it you can't be dispossessed of it. And therefore we need to go the other 10% of it," Dr Holness said.

He tied formal land ownership to wider economic participation, arguing that when people hold secure title they are better positioned to work, invest, and build enterprises.

"One build an economy where everyone can have the means to acquire property. You can have a job. You can get education. You can create things. You can sell. You can develop new products, develop a company if you want. You can make money," he added.

Minister with responsibility for land titling and settlement, Robert Montague, urged the new title holders to safeguard their documents and to encourage others to regularise their land holdings through the legal process.

"I want to say to the persons who are here to receive their titles. It is not a piece of paper you are getting. You are getting hope. You are getting opportunity. You are getting security. You are getting something for the dead left your children. Therefore, you must protect it and you must encourage others to start the process as well," Montague told beneficiaries.

He also cautioned against informal occupation of state lands, saying some people refuse the lawful route and instead squat on government property.

"But you have some persons here in our country that are determined not to go through the legal route to acquire land, but to squat on government lands," he said.