Search

Lao Land Titling Project – Phase I

Project details

Country

  • Lao PDR

Client

  • Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Australia

Project Timeframe

  • July 1997 - September 2003

Key Services

  • Land Administration, Governance, Policy & Institutional Strengthening

Project Key Information

Prime contractor, responsible for project management, secondment of Thai and Lao experts, technical management of land titling activity.

Project Narrative

This project is a World Bank/AusAID co-financed project. The overall goal of the project is to strengthen the basis for long-term sustainable economic and social development. In conformity with this goal, the objectives of the project are to foster the development of efficient land markets and to facilitate domestic resource mobilization by providing a system of clear and enforceable land use ownership rights, and by developing a land valuation capacity. The project supports the first seven years of a longer term national land titling program (which is being developed during implementation) aimed at extending secure land ownership and developing land administration and valuation systems, including compiling a cadastral mapping system. The main components of the project are: (a) completion of the policy and legal framework for land management and administration (US$0.4 million); (b) implementation of an accelerated land titling program (US$19.0 million); (c) improvements in infrastructure, facilities and systems for land administration (US$2.7 million); (d) improvements in land valuation (US$0.8 million); (e) support for project management and implementation, and institutional strengthening (US$4.0 million); (f) studies on community land tenure and registration, definition of forest boundaries, cost recovery, land rights issues on nationalized lands and socio-economic impact (US$0.6 million)

Key services provided

The TA assisted the successful implementation of LLTP in a total of nine provinces, these being Vientiane Prefecture, and provinces of Savannakhet, Champassack, Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Khammouane, Bolikhamsay, Sayaboury and Saravan. In the six years of the Project there were a number of major sector outcomes, which can be summarised as:

  • The establishment of a Higher Diploma in Surveying and Land Administration at the Polytechnic School
  • Improved governance through a gradual shift in DoL responsibility to a decentralised project management with a focus on the Land Office as the primary service delivery point for land administration.
  • The introduction of a transparent systematic registration program (access to records, fees, participation etc).

There have also been a number of significant outputs which underpin the above outcomes, such as:

  • Promulgation of a new Land Law on 31 May 1997.
  • Development of legislation to enable systematic registration and valuation. The main pieces of legislation are: First time issuing of land titles by the method of Systematic Adjudication (MD 997/MoF)First time issuing of land titles by the method of Sporadic Adjudication (MD 998/MoF)Keeping the land title system up to date by a system of land parcel registration (MD 996/MoF)The Ministry of Finance has issued a first ever regulation on land and building valuation (1677/MoF)The Ministry of Finance has also issued a Ministerial Direction for cadastral surveying (748/MoF)
  • The registration of in excess of 120,00 land parcels and the adjudication of in excess of 175,000 land parcels;
  • The acquisition of 3,200 photomaps at scales of 1:1,000, 1:2,000 and 1:4,000 using digital technology that was new to Lao PDR;
  • The development of a new geodetic datum for Lao PDR;Completion of a two-year Masters in Land Administration at the University of New South Wales by three government officials;
  • The graduation of all 26 students from the In Country Course run at the Polytechnic School;
  • Training of 660 staff (government and contract) in systematic registration;
  • The Valuation Information System (VIS), in both manual and computerised format, has been developed and established in Vientiane Prefecture and the provinces of Luang Prabang, Savannakhet and Champassack. It provided an equitable and transparent system for the determination of taxes and charges based on land transactions and a foundation for increased GoL revenue generation.
  • Completion of a civil works program that included the construction or renovation of 9 provincial land office buildings and the commencement of a new office building for the central Department of Lands;
  • A Social Assessment Survey designed to evaluate the impact of the systematic registration certification program at a community level;
  • An Existing Land Tenure and Forest Lands Study designed to contribute to the investigation of undertaking systematic registration in rural areas.
  • A Socio-Economic Baseline Study designed to develop data from which the impact and benefits of the project can be measured;
  • Development of computer software – Parcel and Land Use Registration Information System (PLURIS) for use by the Systematic Adjudication Teams (SAT).

Related Projects

  • Global

Global Land Facility Programme

LEI are partnering with lead, Tetra Tech, in the implementation of the Land Facility program, funded by the UK FCDO. The Land Facility (LF) is designed as an offer to partner countries with a UK post, to co-design effective programs of land related reform. It can provide rural, forestry and urban land governance expertise and assistance to support partner governments’ efforts to expand their capacity to plan, manage and implement national land administration policy, legislation and system reforms.

Project Narrative Effective land governance systems are key to economic growth, rural livelihoods, climate change resilience, and women’s rights. Land is a key root cause of conflict, with increasing competition

Read More
Vanuatu Land Development, Greater Port Vila Infrastructure, Affordable Housing Vanuatu, Resilient Settlements Development, VARS Project Vanuatu, Land Development Strategy Vanuatu, Housing for Low-Income Earners Vanuatu, Vanuatu Urban Planning, Informal Settlements Upgrading, Flood Mitigation Vanuatu, Vanuatu Land Administration, Greenfield Residential Development, Public-Private Partnerships Vanuatu, Vanuatu Land Policy Advisory, Vanuatu Land Development Legal Services, Community Trusts Vanuatu, Sustainable Urban Growth Vanuatu, Vanuatu Infrastructure Development, Land Subdivision Vanuatu, Vanuatu Government Land Development
  • Vanuatu

Vanuatu Affordable and Resilient Settlements (VARS) Project: Procurement of Land Development Policy, Legal and Marketing Advisory Services

The International Development Agency of the World Bank Group is supporting the Government of Vanuatu (GoV) with the Vanuatu Affordable and Resilient Settlements Project (VARS) in an amount of US$25 million, to achieve a long-term vision to provide potable water, sanitation, roads, drainage, and electricity to low-income households.

Project Narrative The overarching development objectives of VARS are to (i) improve access to and resilience of infrastructure and services in selected new and existing settlements, and (ii) strengthen land

Read More
Lesotho 2 Compact, Millennium Challenge Corporation, MCC Lesotho, Lesotho economic growth, Lesotho Land and Gender Activity, Market Driven Irrigation Horticulture, MDIH Project Lesotho, rural income improvement Lesotho, irrigation infrastructure Lesotho, commercial horticulture Lesotho, gender equity Lesotho, Lesotho irrigation systems, rural land registration system, gender reforms Lesotho, smallholder farmers Lesotho, anchor farmer Lesotho, irrigation scheme development, land use planning Lesotho, rural land market Lesotho, landholder rights Lesotho, Community Councils Lesotho, land registration Lesotho, Lesotho resettlement services, commercial farming partnerships Lesotho, Tetra Tech consultancy, Land Equity International, Lesotho agriculture projects, rural livelihoods Lesotho, agricultural production agreements, Lesotho land reforms
  • Lesotho

Market Driven Irrigation Horticulture (MDIH) Land and Gender Activity

The Lesotho II Compact was an agreement between the US government-funded Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the Kingdom of Lesotho (GoL). It was a $US300 million programme to address binding constraints to economic growth in Lesotho. The Lesotho II compact consisted of three projects designed to combat constraints to economic growth by either strengthening private sector participation and/or by improving government coordination, capacity and execution.

Project Narrative The Lesotho Land and Gender activity (L&G Activity), supported the Lesotho Millennium Challenge Account-II (MCA-Lesotho II) to meet the objectives of the Market Driven Irrigation Horticulture (MDIH) Project

Read More

Related News Stories

In spirit of reconciliation, Land Equity International acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay respects to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Contact us
Search