Land police and administration Reform in Mozambique
An economic reflection
From the poverty to development
In the communal areas (CA’s), the land property rights systems is related as problem between
private and communal relationship
One thing I know. The land hasn't value, so that mean that it's marginal productivity is very low
if consider that the derivation of profit function, indicate that the land valor have to be the same
with the land productivity in equilibrium. The economical impact, is that in this case where the
land hasn't valor and can't be used for economical propose, not for sale, its impossible to use it
for negotiations, commercial transactions or any business, as part of.
In my view is important to building up a realist land police and administration, where the
challenges is to look in and to reduce the impact of land tenure system and security, more in
demand side, as rural development programs, investment and credit facilities.
Land is not only factor of production, but capital as well, where more than 80% of rural areas has
as unique social benefit and economic goods. More than “public good”, land is a space,
environment and property.
The land valuation defines enforcement, incentive for right land allocation and promotes
investment with impact in economic output (income). The economical expression of land value
is an actual value of land tax (considering the risk rate and potential of the land) and existing
investment (considering the market rate of interest) during X period.
So that mean that if the land is potencial for any activity its value is high with positive impact in
the productivity (see that the land will be appropriate allocated for exact propose), and if is low
that land will be used for other propose and not for agriculture. In this way will be possible to
indicate where is the appropriate land for agriculture using land mapping.
An experience from one African country happens that the investor didn't accept to building a
processor factory in rural area because the land was in community "hands" and was necessary to
have specific agreement with that community and during the consultation the stakeholders didn't
accept some community condition. In my view the State really have to get this responsibility to
contact the community and to convince them to accept investment project.
Land authorization process and access
The land authorization process is very complicate - too many bureaucracy (2/3 years waiting)
and this is the biggest negative economical problem for the stakeholders. In this case is really
necessary to introduce idea in to the local Government that if some one what to invest is
necessary to improve his activity getting land in no more than 45 days.
That means that the local administration have to take part of this responsibility and start the
process (local meetings, preliminary consultation, presentation of the project, and so one),
following Mozambican Land Law. In term of importance of land tenure security, we know that
the community has to be protected by the State, using correct legislation where they are principal
agent of land concession, but is necessary to think in what is the economical impact of those
systems in the economy of developing countries.