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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, August 24, 2017 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The Ministry of Sustainable Development is urging citizens and residents who have been allocated Government lands to settle their outstanding balances, as the Team Unity-led Government continues to push for the creation of a property owning society in St. Kitts and Nevis.

 

Persons who, for any particular reason, are unable continue their payments at this time or those who are no longer interested in having the allocation are being encouraged to visit the Ministry of Sustainable Development, located at the Total Concept Building at Bladen’s Commercial Development, to further discuss the matter.

 

Once all payments have been made, the next step would be obtaining a Certificate of Title. This certificate can be used as a vehicle to access loans or credit for home construction, purchasing of personal transportation or as collateral for a student loan. 

 

Prime Minister and Minister responsible for Sustainable Development, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris supported this call for citizens and residents to be up to date on their land payments, as his Government “wants more locals to have a stake in the land of their birth through property ownership and prudent investments.”

 

As a result of this, the tripartite coalition Government has taken the necessary steps to further facilitate easier property ownership in St. Kitts and Nevis, particularly through the passage of the Land Registry Bill in the federal Parliament on July 11, 2017.

 

This Act facilitates the establishment of a dedicated land registry to cover all of the associated legal aspects related to land ownership within the federal system. This covers lands held by deed, certificate of titles, timeshares, condominiums and related matters. The previous matters were handled by the High Court Registry which caused a significant delay due to the enormous workload the registry normally carries.

 

It will also allow for the conversion of relevant records into an electronic format and provide for the introduction of a direct access service where the information can be accessed remotely for searches.

 

The passage of the Land Registry Bill is in keeping with the process of administrative reform being pursued by the government that will involve a survey and physical mapping of lands within St. Kitts and Nevis.