Manchester families receive 124 land titles at Mandeville ceremony

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has urged Jamaicans occupying family lands and other long-held properties to regularise their ownership, as 124 land titles were presented to beneficiaries in Manchester under the systematic land registration programme.

The ceremony, held in Mandeville, brought together representatives of the Ministry of Economic Growth and Infrastructure Development, the National Land Agency, local government officials and residents from communities including Greenville, Mike Town, Claremont and Victoria Town.

Holness said many Jamaicans live on land passed down through generations but still lack formal legal proof of ownership. He argued that registration through the state’s titling system gives families stronger protection, reduces boundary quarrels and makes it easier to pass property to relatives or use land as an economic asset.

The prime minister also warned against the abuse of adverse possession, saying some persons have been occupying, subdividing and selling land they do not own, including government land. He said orderly settlement is essential because communities built without proper planning often later struggle for roads, water, sewerage, garbage access and other basic services.

Minister without portfolio Robert Montague said the National Land Agency has produced and distributed more than 13,000 titles over the past five years and that the Government wants to expand output significantly. He explained that systematic registration allows the state to declare an area, send in surveyors and complete the process without upfront payment from beneficiaries, who may repay costs over time without interest.

Permanent Secretary Arlene Williams said the programme is intended to help Jamaicans turn land into a source of stability, credit access and generational wealth. Manchester Central Member of Parliament Rhoda Moy Crawford also congratulated the recipients, saying their titles create new opportunities for housing, farming, business and family inheritance.