The Lands Commission has begun an aggressive ground rent recovery and compliance enforcement exercise across some of Accra’s most expensive neighbourhoods as part of efforts to boost state revenue and restore discipline in land administration.
The ongoing operation covers prime areas including Airport Residential Area, East Legon, Tema Motorway Industrial Area, and the North Industrial Area. Teams from the Greater Accra Regional Lands Commission are personally delivering demand notices to property owners and lessees to ensure payment of outstanding ground rents.
The exercise is being led by the Acting Greater Accra Regional Lands Officer, Surv. Dr. Pius Asumadu, and supervised by Surv. Owusu Peprah, Regional Head of the Public and Vested Lands Management Division (PVLMD).
It forms part of a broader nationwide campaign to ensure that individuals and corporate bodies occupying state lands honour their lease obligations.
Preliminary findings from the exercise have uncovered widespread irregularities in the management and use of public lands in the capital. Officials identified several instances of unauthorised land use changes, unapproved subletting, illegal redevelopment into apartments, and non-payment of ground rent for several years.
Dr. Asumadu described these practices as “a worrying trend that undermines the integrity of Ghana’s land administration system.” He explained that some lessees have converted residential plots into commercial facilities without approval, while others have subdivided and resold lands in violation of lease agreements.
In response, the Lands Commission has announced stringent compliance measures, including a comprehensive review of leases, adjustment of terms to reflect current land use, and upward revision of ground rents.
Persistent defaulters face severe sanctions — their names will be published in national newspapers, and they risk losing their lands through lawful re-entry under the provisions of the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036).
The Commission has urged all lessees, whether or not they have received a demand notice, to visit the nearest Lands Commission office to verify their payment status and settle outstanding arrears.
Officials say the ongoing exercise is part of a wider reform agenda to streamline land administration, protect public lands from encroachment, and improve revenue generation for national development.
The Lands Commission has also hinted that similar ground rent enforcement exercises will soon be rolled out in other regions, focusing on high-value government lands in Kumasi, Takoradi, and Tamale.
The Commission says the renewed enforcement drive demonstrates its commitment to promoting responsible land stewardship, enhancing public trust, and strengthening institutional integrity within Ghana’s land sector.
