Land Titling and Economic Restructuring Activity (LTERA)

DATES: September 2004 - October 2009
 
OVERVIEW
The Land Titling and Economic Restructuring in Afghanistan (LTERA) Program improved property rights for millions of Afghans and worked with the Afghan Government to restructure state-owned entities (SOEs).  LTERA resolved land rights disputes and formalized property rights by establishing clear documentation and transfer of land ownership – both for Afghan families living in informal settlements and for businesses seeking sites with secure tenure.  In support of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS), LTERA also analyzed the assets and liabilities of SOEs to prepare restructuring and privatization plans.  Ultimately, these plans guided the transfer of SOE assets to the private sector, releasing land, buildings, and equipment for industrial and commercial development.
 
ACTIVITIES
LTERA improved the management of property records, formalized land tenures, restructured and privatized SOEs, and implemented modern land mapping and surveying methodologies. LTERA also worked on the policy level to improve the legal and regulatory framework for property rights, registration, and economic restructuring. These activities fell under LTERA’s two components: land titling and economic restructuring. 
 
  • Land titling activities included improving the legal framework, developing a modern land policy based on community recognition of property rights within informal settlements, implementing an efficient property registration system, and reactivating cadastral activities. Ultimately, LTERA introduced a comprehensive land administration system throughout the country and produced maps of land and buildings held by SOEs that were selected for restructuring or privatization.
  • Economic restructuring activities assisted the Ministry of Finance and eleven line ministries with the restructuring and privatization of SOEs through international tenders, long-term leases, corporatization, or the sale of assets to the private sector.
RESULTS
Property Records Management
 
  • Reorganized 6.5 million property records in 21 provinces.
  • Launched a computerized registry of property deeds; more than 700,000 deeds digitized.
  • Streamlined immovable property registration from 34 steps to 3 for urban and 4 for rural land.
Land Tenure Formalization
 
  • Land Policy approved by Cabinet of Ministers in September 2007.
  • Helped two million informal settlers in Kabul, Mazari Sharif, Kunduz, and Taluqan gain formal ownership of their land.
  • Assisted USAID and Provincial Reconstruction Teams in navigating the land acquisition process for beneficiaries.
Economic Restructuring and Privatization
 
  • Twenty five SOE liquidation, restructuring, and corporatization proposals approved by the Afghan Government, starting the process of transferring their assets to the private sector.
  • Transferred assets worth almost $12 million to the private sector through 38 public auctions.
  • Identified 1,320 SOE land parcels/buildings for privatization.
Geographic Information System (GIS)/Surveying 
 
  • Developed a curriculum for land surveying and mapping at Kabul Polytechnic University.
  • Created a cost-effective technique to survey and map property boundaries, which supports the protection of property rights.