WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — The People’s National Party (PNP) has unveiled bold plans to overhaul Jamaica’s land ownership framework, promising sweeping reforms that could see thousands of families gain legal control of lands they’ve lived on for decades.
Speaking before an energized crowd of party loyalists in Savanna-la-Mar, PNP standard-bearer for St James Southern, Nekeisha Burchell, delivered a fiery address that placed land rights at the heart of the party’s next-term agenda. “Land is dignity. Land is security. And land is yours,” she proclaimed.
The party’s proposal includes a dramatic policy shift: reducing the required time to claim Crown land through adverse possession from 60 years to 25 years. This initiative, Burchell argued, is long overdue.
“Under the current law, you have to occupy government land for 60 years before you can apply to own it,” she said. “That’s not just unjust—that’s un-Jamaican. We’re cutting that to 25 years. And not only that—we’re giving you provisional titles before you reach the 25.”
Burchell detailed the practical implications of this shift. With a provisional land title in hand, occupants could finally leverage the value of their homes and property—borrowing against their land, investing in their families, and building intergenerational wealth. “Walk into a bank with your title and say, ‘Mi ready now,’” she encouraged. “Because dignity must come before delay.”
The PNP’s campaign promises don’t stop at tenure reduction. A new digital mapping initiative, powered by GPS and drone technology, would formally identify occupied Crown lands across the island. This, according to Burchell, will pave the way for transparency, speed, and fairness in land titling.
“We’re not waiting for paperwork to catch up with people’s lives,” she added. “We’re using tech to ensure your grandmother’s home, your children’s future, and your family’s legacy is finally secured.”
The party also aims to deliver 40,000 land titles per year if elected—a figure Burchell said symbolizes the scale of change to come. Additionally, a fast-tracked pathway for ownership of mined-out bauxite lands is on the legislative horizon.
Burchell closed with a message of empowerment: “They want you to believe you’re squatters. But we see you for what you are—rightful citizens of this land. And under the PNP, your title will prove it.”
As the 2025 general election looms, the battle for land—and the votes it may carry—has become more than a political talking point. It is shaping up to be a referendum on dignity, ownership, and the future of Jamaica’s forgotten communities.
