Land should not be the only means of survival

Feb 08, 2008

While debate on the recently tabled land bill continues, we must look beyond legal prescriptions to solve land tenure problems. Land is still the most important factor of production, major means of survival and most dependable fixed asset. With population growth and development pressure, land ceased

While debate on the recently tabled land bill continues, we must look beyond legal prescriptions to solve land tenure problems. Land is still the most important factor of production, major means of survival and most dependable fixed asset. With population growth and development pressure, land ceased to be enough and its value increased.

The inevitable consequence becomes conflict and crisis as fewer people own land and many face a lifelong risk of eviction. But there are countries which have survived such scenarios by redirecting their development goals. We need to diversify our means of survival and create an environment where land gradually ceases to be the most important factor of production.

In this technological era, assets don’t have to be physical. People can invest in brains, shares, bonds, bills, skill and talent. Actually, overdependence on land is a sign of underdevelopment.

In America, there were 30 million farmers after the World War II. Now they are about three million because their scale of development doesn’t depend on land. There, land is even taxed and made an inconvenience unless the owner makes it highly productive. What we need is more industrialisation, urbanisation and technological advancement.

Government should invest in condominiums and flats and avail people affordable housing for them to concentrate of improving skills and investing in assets that are not land.

The way we are fragmenting land for individual possession, especially in urban areas stifles development and urban expansion and delays development making it more expensive.

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