Tanzania will in April embark on a nationwide audit to identify undeveloped parcels of land exceeding 50 acres.

The Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Mr William Lukuvi, said Thursday that ownership of farms and pieces of land found to be idle would be revoked and re-allocated as part of wider efforts to end long-standing land disputes in many parts of the country and ensure equitable distribution of the resource.

The special audit is part of the $15.2 million three-year Land Tenure Support Programme (LTSP).

Mr Lukuvi said the decision would guarantee equitable access to and use of land, particularly for people in rural areas and help investors.

“Our intention is to identify those holding large areas and farms without developing them. We will revoke their title deeds and give the land to those in need,” he said.

The minister added that the programme would put land to better use and help boost government revenue.

“Any serious investor who needs land for investment should come to my office with a business plan and I will give them land in any region, even here in Dar es Salaam, for investment, but this offer is not for crooks.”

The minister said the Lands ministry expects to have issued a total of 1.2 million land ownership certificates by 2020.  He added that foreign and local investors seeking land for serious investment purposes would now be able to secure title deeds within seven days following the simplification of the land ownership process. 

Mr Lukuvi said over 3,000 title deeds had yet to be collected from the ministry, and asked those who had applied for the documents to go and pick them up.

However, the Executive Director of HakiArdhi, Mr Yefred Mnyenzi, told The EastAfrican later that there was a similar initiative in the past, but it was never implemented.

“There was a similar initiative and a list of undeveloped land was prepared. Also, in 2015 a parliamentary committee came up with a long list of owners of abandoned land. I advise the government to work on the reports and take action,” said Mr Myenzi.

Title deeds have been issued for hundreds of thousands of acres of land, which has remained undeveloped for many years.

Owners of such land, including senior government officials and politicians, have been using the title deeds as security to secure huge from banks.

LTSP is aimed at supporting a more transparent and efficient land sector to ensure that current and future demand for land leads to beneficial and equitable outcomes for Tanzania’s rural population while at the same time continuing to attract and support investment.