PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of VROMI has published its response to advice given by the Integrity Chamber. The advice was requested by the Ministry for the draft Long-Lease Land Issuance Policy.
The Integrity Chamber applauds the positive response of the Ministry of VROMI and commends the incorporation of several points in the advice into the policy. This will reduce integrity-related risks relating to the issuance of long-lease land and avoid perceived arbitrariness in the procedure. In their response, the Ministry provided feedback on each aspect of the advice.
The Ministry of VROMI stated that the advice to allow part-time workers to be eligible and to require a maximum income for applicants would be examined. Furthermore, the Ministry indicated that it already has, or will include the majority of the recommendations outlined by the Integrity Chamber, for example, possible consequences of non-compliance with the conditions, and internal procedures to go alongside the policy. The Ministry of VROMI is actively working to solve various challenges, by including a complete CRM system to maintain an updated Land Registry and implementing a general complaints procedure throughout the Ministry.
One of the areas that the Integrity Chamber advised on was to include other processes, such as renewals, transfers, and extensions. The Ministry of VROMI acknowledges that adding these processes would significantly improve the comprehensiveness of the policy. However, the Ministry has chosen to first expedite the completion of the current policy. The Integrity Chamber anticipates continued accountability from the Ministry of VROMI regarding the execution of the remaining aspects of the advice.
The Ministry of VROMI expressed gratitude for the willingness of the Integrity Chamber to assist with recommendations on the policy. The Ministry conveyed that the advice from the Integrity Chamber has aided in ensuring that a comprehensive policy will be established and that an assessment will be carried out after implementation to determine whether the objectives have been achieved. The Integrity Chamber looks forward to continued collaboration with the Ministry. The full response from the Ministry of VROMI was published in the National Gazette dated April 1, 2022.
