The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has disclosed that it has up to date digitized over 300 thousand properties and scanned close to 60 thousand files.
Ministry of Land and Natural Resources Surveyor General Joseph Minango says the process of digitizing properties has been done in partnership with the Zambia Integrated Forest Landscape Project (ZIFLP).
Mr Minango said digitization of paper records is important in the management of land records in the country.
He was speaking during the National Capacity Building for Surveyors workshop in Chongwe today as part of the digitization of Land records.
Mr Minango however said the Ministry has continued to receive paper records which it has to digitize.
He said following the enactment of the Land Survey Amendment Act of 2021 which includes some provisions where his office is now able to receive electronic documents, it is important for documents to be digitized.
“You all know, colleagues, that record management of hardcopy maps is a challenge as you deal with issues of space, retrieval of documents and sharing of such documents. Government has been desirous to implement electronic management in all its dealing and implementing the submission and management of electronic survey record is seen as one of the important milestones in its stride towards e-governance,” Mr Minango said.
Speaking on the same occasion, Surveyors Institute of Zambia Chairman Glenn Mwika said the process of digitizing records will quicken the issuance of title deeds.
In an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the event, Mr Mwika said the digitization process will make issuance of titles more efficient.
He said Zambians will stand to benefit greatly from the digitization process.
Mr Mwika lamented how frustrating the process could be if it is done in a manual way.
“The last I checked when we did an actual physical count would be a four and half year backlog which means if you wanted a title today and you wanted a surveyor to do the work, you would be expected to get your title after 4 years,” he said.
At least his profession is being recognised now 15 years ago they just used to read newspapers all day in that office…really laughable!