Rédaction Africa Links 24 with padeguenon
Published on 2024-03-21 21:25:56
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The issuance of the Customary Ownership Certificate is suspended until further notice on the entire national territory. This decision taken by the government follows irregularities observed at the level of decentralized territorial collectivities that violate the Land Code.
The Beninese government, in a statement co-signed by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, and the Ministry of Decentralization and Local Governance, has taken a drastic measure in response to irregularities reported in land management at the level of decentralized territorial collectivities. These irregularities specifically concern the issuance of Customary Ownership Certificates, in violation of the provisions of the current Land and Property Code in the Republic of Benin.
Faced with this situation, and in order to safeguard the general interest, a decision was made: the issuance of the Customary Ownership Certificate is suspended, until further notice, on the entire national territory, both in rural areas and in peri-urban areas not subject to a land subdivision operation. This suspension, according to the statement, aims to allow for further investigation to shed light on the practices in question.
However, aware of the potential impacts of this measure on projects awaiting authorization, the government has put in place an exceptional mechanism. The prefects of the different departments are thus invited to carry out a case-by-case evaluation of pending files, according to the urgency and importance of the projects concerned. This approach could lead to a derogatory authorization for the continuation of procedures, pending the lifting of the suspension measure.
The Minister of Economy and Finance, the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, and the Minister of Decentralization and Local Governance communicate:
It has come to our attention from reliable and well-informed sources that irregularities are observed at the level of decentralized territorial collectivities in the issuance of documents related to land, especially concerning the Customary Ownership Certificate, in violation of the Land and Property Code in force in the Republic of Benin and thus compromising the preservation of the general interest.
Therefore, the issuance of the Customary Ownership Certificate is suspended, until further notice, in rural and peri-urban areas not covered by a land subdivision operation throughout the national territory pending the results of the deepening of the ongoing investigations.
However, for pending files, departmental prefects are invited to provide an overview by municipality in their respective territorial jurisdiction and for case-by-case assessment, based on the urgency and importance of the project to be carried out on the site, for the purpose of a derogatory authorization to continue the procedure, before the suspension measure is lifted.
The mayors of Benin’s municipalities, in collaboration with the executive secretaries of the municipalities, are invited to relay these instructions to their constituents by all means at their disposal and to ensure strict compliance.
Read the original article(French) on Benin Web TV
