Huge tracks of undocumented land a concern for registration officials
SIEM Reap provincial deputy governor Ly Samrith expressed concern that land registration plans for residents scheduled to be completed by late 2021 could not be achieved because 80 per cent of the land had not been registered.
Land dispute issues are a major factor that poses a hindrance to the registration process in the province, Samrith said.
He made the remarks at a press conference on progress and goal setting in Siem Reap on Tuesday at the Council of Ministers. The press conference was held by the Government Spokesperson Unit and attended by more than 30 participants.
“The task of land and construction is one that is of fundamental importance for the provincial government and the national government alike.
“This is because according to the plan of the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, land registration for residents and the state are scheduled to be completed by 2021 in which we have only oneand-a-half years to go,” he said.
He also expressed concern that the plan may be impossible to be completed because so much land has yet to be registered.
“We have around 80 per cent of land plots left,” he said. “The plots have yet to be registered even though the provincial administration has tried to register them systematically.
“There are hundreds of cases in the hands of the provincial hall administration because we have mechanisms to solve them step by step.”
Samrith said the provincial hall administration has issued 100,000 land occupation cards to citizens or 100,000 plots. Last year, the provincial administration resolved more than 100 cases of land disputes.
“Even though results might not be achieved as planned, the provincial administration will speed up the systematic land registration for residents 100 per cent in the future,” Samrith said.
Siem Reap provincial Adhoc investigator Sous Narin told The Post on Tuesday that the land registration is actually slow because much of the registered land has only been accounted for in Siem Reap town.
In remote districts and areas such as Srei Snam, Varin and Chi Kraeng districts, t he least number of land has been registered.
“Many factors pose obstacles to registering land. Besides the land disputes, officials at all levels didn’t participate actively in implementing the land registration and it is slow.
“This land registration was announced publicly, but its implementation is not like the announcement. Only officials go down to measure some land, but are not joined by residents,” he said.
Narin said if the land registration still protracts and is unsuccessful, then land disputes will still occur.
Whether the disputes stem between residents, residents with companies or residents and the state, it still continues occurring and might even become chronic if not resolved in a timely fashion, he said.