St Kitts and Nevis partner with Taiwan over land admin system

The government of St Kitts and Nevis has entered into an agreement with Taiwan over a Land Administration Information System Project (LAIS).

The system is aimed at propelling the federation from the analogue era to the digital age regarding land administration.

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs and Communications, Dianna Francis, explained that the agreement signals the ongoing and strengthened relationship, while at the same time underscores the importance of the project.

“This system will be an active user-friendly portal for all to conduct searches on properties, and to engage in various types of business activities with the Land Registry,” she said.

“The Land Administration Information System will be built by Taiwanese personnel, who will be in the Federation shortly to conduct the feasibility study to ensure that the relevant information is captured so as to facilitate the building of a system that meets the needs of various stakeholders.”

Francis stated that once the system is operational, it would significantly improve the “whole aspect of land acquisition from the point of sale to acquisition of title, filing etc. and not to overstate, the ease of conducting searches”.

“The importance of this venture is key to sustain the current thrust of the Federation in expansion, development and re-development of the CBI Programme as a world provider of Bespoke Investments in land and real estate.

“These efforts will not only continue to increase government’s revenue through tax collection, but also promote the development of the tourism industry.

She added that the St Kitts and Nevis government is working assiduously to “significantly improve the way business is done in the public service through the efficiency, effectiveness, the turnaround time and the time spent rummaging through physical records”.

In preparation for the implementation of a dedicated LAIS, the Land Registry Act was passed in the National Assembly in 2017.

A Registrar of Lands was also appointed in preparation for the upgrade.