The global achievements of the Lands and Surveys Department has been recognised at this country’s first-ever Housing Colloquium.
Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance, Dwight Sutherland, highlighted the work of the Department while giving remarks at the colloquium hosted by the Ministry of Housing, entitled Transforming the Land Transaction Process in Barbados, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Conference Centre, last Friday.
Noting the land transaction areas in which the Land and Surveys Department is involved, he mentioned that it was the recipient of the award for Special Achievement in Geospatial Information Science for 2023.
The Housing Minister provided a breakdown of this International Award in recognition of the Department’s achievement, which was as follows:
- The creation and utilisation of a Barbados Building Identifier (BBID) – the BBID is used to provide a unique identification of all building structures on the island.
- The creation of the Barbados Geoportal – the first for this country. It creates a single point of reference for all geospatial data for the island.
- The creation of a National Digital Parcel Fabric – which is a digital representation of all land parcels for the island and serves to provide underlying data for land information analysis. This was developed with the support of the Ministry of Industry, Innovation, Science and Smart Technology.
Mr. Sutherland added that the Department has further developed initiatives within the Land Registration programme for the identification of registered parcels, a demarcations E-Form to be utilised for data collection prior to the start of the demarcation exercise (which can also be utilised by the public), and the establishment of a Continuous Operating Reference Station System for providing provisional information for GPS users and holders of GPS survey grade devices.
He also spoke on other developments. “A geoportal has furthermore been established. This is a single space for all geospatial data, where state agencies can place their geospatial information for easy access. The surveyors among us would already be aware and are benefitting from the Survey Information Management System. With the establishment of this system, Land Surveyors no longer have to physically visit the Lands and Surveys Department to conduct their research, but now have access to this online platform 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” he said.
Of the presentations for the colloquium, Mr. Sutherland stated that they would examine the enhanced use of technology for improving inefficiencies and reducing the time taken in effecting transactions.
He said that there was an anticipation that all participants would have a better appreciation for what would be required for the country to move towards electronic conveyancing.
“When we speak of electronic conveyancing, often referred to as e-conveyancing, we are alluding to the digital process of transferring property ownership and handling related documentation through electronic means. It encompasses everything from the initial offer and acceptance to the final transfer of funds and registration of the property title.
“This method employs advanced technologies such as secure online platforms, block-chain, and electronic signatures to facilitate transactions that are faster, safer, and more efficient than ever before,” Minister Sutherland stated.