Project Design for National Directorate of Land and Property

Project Narrative

Originally created in 1999 under the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), the National Directorate of Land and Property (NDTP) is now responsible for the application of the Juridical Regime for Immovable Property (ie Real Estate). The relevant legislation was promulgated on 10 March 2003. This legislation provides the Directorate with the mandate to administer all government land, state land and abandoned property; establish a land dispute and mediation procedure; and develop a registration process for land (ie Titles Office). DNTP is also responsible for matters relating to land survey, valuation and Geographic Information Systems.

The Australian Government has been a major partner to DNTP since its creation. Approximately 26 DNTP staff have received direct capacity building in some form or other during the past few years, although six of these staff have since been transferred to the Ministry of Justice central administration.

Key services provided

The objective of the design assignment is to prepare an activity design for assistance to NDLP. The NDLP is responsible for the administration of all government land, state land and abandoned property and for the development of a system of land registration in the new nation of Timor-Leste. Along with these responsibilities NDLP are involved in developing roles which are ancillary to the effective administration of land such as land survey, property valuation, national mapping and related Land and Geographic Information Systems. AusAID has provided operational assistance to NDLP since May 2000 and Land Equity International was subcontracted by the Australian Managing Contractor, ITC (University of Wollongong), to design the final stages of this assistance under the Australia-East Timor Capacity Building Program. Land Equity provided general advice on the development of land administration capacity and prepared the design for specialist technical assistance in Valuation, Cadastral Survey/Mapping and National Mapping.