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Cabinet has granted approval for amendments to the Facilities for Titles Act, Minister with responsibility for Information, Senator Hon. Sandrea Falconer, has informed.

Speaking at the weekly Jamaica House press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister on December 6, she noted that the changes will assist in bringing undocumented land owners to a standard where ownership can be proved, and that ownership is then evidenced by a Certificate of Compliance for their land.

The changes to the Act will also make provision for the title investigation procedure to be used in land tenure cases. “It will modify the procedure under the current Act, which makes it mandatory for the land owner to first apply for a loan before the procedure to establish ownership can be engaged,” she stated.

Furthermore, the amendment will also allow for the certificate of compliance to be issued to the reputed land owner after the investigations are completed. It will also certify that the person named in the certificate has a title to the land described.

The amendment will also update the current fines for offences under the act, which includes a $200 penalty for obtaining a loan by false representation.

The Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change estimates that there are 400,000 parcels of unregistered land in Jamaica.