70% upfront payment to apply to public land leases
The remaining 30% will be paid over the duration of the lease as ground rent.
A new payment regime for public lands in Ghana will require prospective leaseholders to pay 70% of the assessed market value upfront, under reforms announced by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
The remaining 30% will be paid over the duration of the lease as ground rent.
The measures form part of a broader reform package aimed at tightening the administration of public lands, improving oversight, and boosting transparency in the allocation process.
Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, Deputy Lands Minister Alhaji Yusif Sulemana said the changes followed Cabinet approval of recommendations submitted by the Public Land Review Allocation Committee, which he chairs.
He said the revised system is intended to improve accountability and efficiency while ensuring that public land transactions better reflect the country’s economic interests.
One of the key adjustments is a revision of the Public Land Application Form, known as Form 5.
According to the Deputy Minister, the updated form will now serve as the single compulsory document for all public land transactions across the country and will also be made available electronically on the Lands Commission’s website.
He added that the allocation process has also been tightened.
Under the new regime, no public land will be allocated unless the Lands Minister gives prior written approval, a move the ministry says is aimed at strengthening control and aligning allocations with national policy objectives.
The government also says it has compiled what it describes as a reliable database of land market values for estates across the country. That information, officials say, will be published online to guide valuation and support fairer allocations.
As part of the reforms, a public land protection task force has been set up to respond to encroachment and unauthorised development on state lands.
Alhaji Sulemana said the task force would operate within the existing constitutional and legal framework.
He further announced that 67% of the Lands Commission’s internally generated funds would be ring-fenced to support a national digitalization drive intended to improve land service delivery.
The reforms come after the ministry reviewed 8,160 public land lease applications covering the period from 2017 to 2024.
That review, announced earlier by Lands Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah on 16 February 2026, led to the cancellation of transactions deemed incomplete, non-compliant, or suspicious.
Although a temporary suspension on public land allocations has now been lifted, the ministry says all future allocations will be subject to stricter controls, including mandatory ministerial approval.
