Development & Revocation of undeveloped plots

Dar es Salaam like any other city is face with a high demand of serviced plot as compared to ability of the government to supply due to increasing population and urbanization. The situation was manageable in 1960 because plots for different use were produced and supplied proportionately with the demand but the situation changed from 1972 when the government decided to decentralize the administration machinery to the regional level. Having realized the situation, the government initiated the first biggest project for land delivery for residential purposes in 1978 covering some neighbourhoods of Dar es Salaam city known as Site and Service Project. Initiatives extended further to produce serviced plots in Dar es Salaam city in the year 2001/2002 MLHHSD decided to launch a project famously known as the 20,000 Plots Project. These projects were successfully achieved and allocated to citizen through recouping capital invested. Almost all plots are owned but most of them remained undeveloped for a long time as opposed to anticipation of the authorities and neither the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development nor the three Dar es Salaam Municipalities took initiatives to enforce development of the allocated plots. Land Act No.4 of 1999 have expressly prescribed that allocated plots to be developed within 36 month after the commencement of the right of occupancy. Furthermore, the law has set a fine of 1% of land value for not conforming to 36 months and if the breach is serious the law has given the president power to revoke the right of occupancy in the public interest. However the enforcement of the regulations is feeble. This research was conducted in Dar es Salaam with the main objective of revealing and explaining factors that limit development of allocated plots in the 20,000 plots project in Dar es Salaam city and explaining why revocation of the right of occupancy of undeveloped plots beyond 36 month in 20000 plots project in Dar es Salaam city is not effectively enforced. To establish these objectives the main research question that guided the entire study process read; “Which factors hinders the development and revocation of undeveloped plots allocated in the 20,000 plots project in Dar es Salaam city?” The study surveyed Mwongozo and Kibada as neighbourhood study areas. To ascertain factors hindering the development and revocation of undeveloped plots allocated in the 20,000 plots project, it was first discovered that distance to the CBD and work places is not the accessibility factors that has impact on the development of the plots since it is 15km to Kibada and 20 Km to Mwongozo. However accessibility factors that affect development of plots in Kibada and Mwongozo is the means of transport. On top of that, study found that mobility factors that constrained development of plot in Mwongozo and kibada are commute cost and time. Furthermore, it was discovered that level of services is not satisfactory since in all most all of these areas there is no public water connection, electricity is far from the neighbourhood only found along main roads to Kibada and Mwongozo. Most of roads are weathered roads that are made by the dwellers themselves during the construction time. The study also discovered that there is no clear and convenience fiscal incentive that are provided by the government to encourage the development of plots in Kibada and Mwongozo since most of the system which is available do not benefit the targeted people. On the issue of regulatory incentive study found that there is neither permit procedures reduction and waivers nor building rule waiver. In addition to that the study found that no incremental building practices is allowed from the municipality. Moreover, study found that staff, set up, role and responsibility and politics impede effective revocation, revocation law and procedures are okay since they seems to protect individual land right before revocation. Lastly, study found that resources for revocation are unevenly distributed between the local and nation government and hence finance is the serious challenge at the municipality level. In conclusion the project objective was clear to plan, survey provide infrastructure then allocate the plots to Dar es Salaam land seekers but problem occur because of the bad implementation of the law.