THE government will fully digitise the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) within the next four years, President Dr Irfaan Ali has announced, describing the agency as the “intersector” on which virtually every major development project in the country depends on.
Speaking at the 25th Anniversary and Awards Ceremony of the GLSC on Tuesday, President Ali said the commission is being deliberately reshaped into a system-based, people-centred and service-led institution, with modern technology at the core of its operations.
“The objective in the next four years is to deliver an agency that is fully digitised, and one in which we will fully implement the most advanced technology to help our work here in every department, in every aspect of our work, and that is critical as we advance the work of the commission,” he said.
BACKBONE OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The President stressed that the GLSC’s work is often undervalued because it takes place before the visible construction.
He insisted that its imprint is found in every major national project from housing schemes to highways and industrial investments, stressing that land administration underpins all aspects of development, including roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, housing, agriculture and investments.
“Before a road is built, land must be identified and surveyed before a housing scheme development can begin. Boundaries must be established and records prepared before an investor commits resources. There must be certainty about land ownership and land use before communities can expand,” he said adding: “There must be proper planning and management of land resources. In other words, development begins with land. An effective land administration is what transformed land from a physical asset into an engine of economic growth and social progress.”
MODERN, TRANSPARENT, CITIZEN-CENTRED SYSTEM
Dr Ali said the government’s vision is for a modern, efficient, transparent and citizen-centred land administration system, driven by accurate data and strong geographic information systems (GIS).
“We want a system where information is readily accessible, where records are increasingly digitised, where services are delivered more efficiently, and where decisions can be made using accurate and reliable data,” he said, adding: “We want stronger geographic information systems to support planning and development across the country; one of greater certainty and security of tenure for citizens, farmers, businesses, and communities.”
Modernisation, he cautioned, will require significant investment, technology, training, retraining, retooling and policy reform, as well as a clear vision and institutional discipline
The President underlined that the GLSC must be fully aligned with Guyana’s national development priorities, including the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and the emerging global biodiversity alliance, given the complexity of balancing rapid economic expansion with sustainable land stewardship.
“The nation’s future is not built only by the projects you can see; it is also built by the institutions that quietly make those projects possible. For 25 years, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission has been one of those institutions. It has helped provide a foundation upon which communities are built, investments are made, and opportunities are created,” he said.