Finnish Ambassador's Speech - The Launch of Land Registration in Zanzibar

THE LAUNCH OF LAND REGISTRATION IN ZANZIBAR-

28.3.2013 at Victoria Garden

STATEMENT OF MS SINIKKA ANTILA, AMBASSADOR OF FINLAND

 

Mheshimiwa Rais wa Zanzibar Dr Shein,

Waheshimiwa wote,

Mabibi na Mabwana,

(Honorable Vice-President

Dear Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen)

Let me start by thanking and congratulating the Zanzibari government and the citizens of Zanzibar that have gathered in this important launch in Zanzibar town. It is an important step for the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar indicating its current active role in developing the country in a sustainable way. It is also an important step in the cooperation between the Zanzibari and Finnish governments.

Acha nianze kwa kuishukuru na kuipongeza serikali ya Zanzibar na raia wote mliokusanyika hapa katika uzinduzi huu muhimu mjini Zanzibar. Hatua hii ni muhimu na inaonyesha juhudi katika kuimarisha Serikali ya Mapinduzi ya Zanzibar katika kuleta maendeleo.

Land issues are always in the heart of development in any country and this was the case during the revolution in Zanzibar in 1964. After the revolution part of land was divided to citizens as 3-acre plots but generally land ownership system has been very complicated. Finland started supporting Zanzibar land sector already in 1991 through the Zanzibar Integrated Land and Environmental Management Project which ended in 1996. In 2005 it was decided to continue the cooperation with a new project called Sustainable Management of Land and Environment, SMOLE.

Why does Finland support Zanzibar in this important sector?

The pressure on land has increased tremendously in Zanzibar as the population is growing, people are increasingly moving to urban areas and tourism continues to gain ground in Unguja and Pemba islands. The severe competition for access to natural resources endangers mainly the poor majority of Zanzibaris. The old tenure system in Unguja used to be based on trees, so that the owner of coconut palms also owned the land. Now the tenure is becoming more and more commercialised and it is transformed to a more land based tenure system. The coastal communal lands have become subject to strong private and commercial interests and have largely lost their communal status.

In and around the Zanzibar town there is a huge and expanding area of informal but permanent settlements. This has also increased disputes over land rights and endangered areas of crucial importance for livelihoods of people: an example is the deforestation and building of houses in the Masingini-Dole area which provides for the water needs of Zanzibar town residents.  Sustainable management of land and environment is crucial for the future of Zanzibar.

The SMOLE project has assisted the Ministry of Lands, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the First Vice President´s office to develop their capacity, to review the policies, laws and strategies, and develop systems for managing data. The three Land departments are jointly working to improve the land management through planning at village, township, district and national level, through mapping and surveying of land and through registering land titles in the national registry.

Registration was first piloted in Stone Town area and from there it moved to Ngambo area next to Stone Town, and further to Chake Chake (Pemba). It has been at times painfully slow and only during the last few months has the speed increased. Finally we feel that our support is achieving some of the results that have been set jointly by our governments.

 

But why is it so important to register land? And why in a computerized registry, which in Zanzibar is called ZALIS, Zanzibar Land Information System?

It is increasingly recognized that well-defined property rights and especially guaranteed land tenure are crucial for investing in land. Registering title deeds reduces the risk of expropriation and it makes buying and selling of land more safe. One can invest on land for example by building a house or planting trees as government guarantees the ownership for the person or persons who are registered as owners. Land can also be used as collateral for accessing credit and the property taxation can be organized to increase domestic revenue for the government.

This is a historical moment in Zanzibar and we are proud to be here to support you. The first Land Certificates have now been handed over to some of the owners. The aim is to continue registering plots in Unguja and Pemba: the MKUZA economic growth and poverty reduction strategy aims to register half of the plots by 2015 and Finland supports this by funding the registration of 70 000 plots by the end of 2014. There will be five teams working all over Zanzibar to register plots, starting from urban and coastal areas as well as the areas of economic growth where there is a lot of pressure and risk of land grabbing. Simultaneously participatory land use planning is being implemented in different villages and towns.

Hili ni jambo la kihistoria Zanzibar na tunajivuna kuwapo pamoja nanyi ili kuwasaidia. Vibali vya ardhi vya mwanzo vimekwisha kabidhiwa kwa wenyewe. Lengo ni kuendelea kuorodhesha viwanja vinginge pia hapa Unguja and Pemba: MKUZA – MKAKATI WA KUKUZA UCHUMI NA KUONDOA UMASIKINI ZANZIBAR, unalenga kuorodhesha nusu ya ya viwanja ifikapo mwaka 2015 na Finland inagharamia kuorodhesha viwanja 70,000 (sabini elfu) ifikapo mwishoni mwa mwaka 2014. Kutakuwa na timu 5 zikifanya kazi hii Zanzibari nzima kuanzia mjini mpaka maeneo ya pwani na maeneo ya yanoyoweza kukuza uchumi ili kukwepa athari ya uvamizi wa ardhi. Wakati huo huo ushirikishwaji katika matumizi ya ardhi unatekelezwa mijini na vijijini.

We very much emphasize that the awareness and information about the importance of registration has to increase among the citizens, including women and vulnerable groups. Women´s land rights are equally important as men´s land rights and we strongly support the registration of land in the name of both spouses.

SMOLE project is also working on other important issues such as environmental and forest management together with communities and other citizens. An environmental database, Zanzibar Environmental Information Management System (ZEIMS) has been created to map, among others, areas where salt water has intruded agricultural fields or where sand mines exist. Community forests have been mapped and registered for the first time in Zanzibar. Protection of mangrove forests is of great importance to protect your islands.

Mheshimiwa Rais wa Zanzibar Dr Shein,

Waheshimiwa wote,

I once again congratulate you on this great achievement and guarantee that we will make our best to achieve durable results that will enhance economic growth and continue reducing poverty.

Kwa mara nyingine nakupongeza kwa mafanikio haya makuwa na kukupa garantii kwamba tutajitahidi kwa kadiri ya uwezo wetu katika kupata matokeo mazuri ambayo yataimarisha uchumi na kupunguza umasikini.

ASANTENI sana.