MORE than Sh 42.02 billion have been borrowed from various financial institutions and formalized land owners through the Program for Formalizing Resources and Businesses of the Poor (MKURABITA).

Speaking in the city, Coordinator of the Program for Formalizing the Resources and Businesses of the Weak, Dr. Seraphia Mgembe said those who were loaned that amount of money are about 2,690 formalized land owners.

He said in terms of land formalization in rural areas, 187,887 farms have been surveyed of which 101,103 titles have been issued.

Dr. Mgembe said the program has also enabled the construction of land registries in 42 villages which are currently completed while six registries are in various stages of completion and that the land registries of two districts have been renovated.

He said that through the program, in terms of capacity building, they have been able to reach 63 councils, 370 wards and 534 villages, of which 630 council leaders have been empowered, 370 ward leaders and 675 village leaders.

He also said that Mkurabita has provided training to build the capacity of the economic use of traditional title deeds for citizens whose land has been formalized and to connect them with capital opportunities where 25 councils have been reached and 9,400 farmers and leaders have received the training.

Dr. Mgembe said in terms of urban land formalization, the plan has reached 11 councils in mainland Tanzania where 30,569 plots have been measured and 5,496 titles have been issued.

He said on the part of Zanzibar, the program has reached five districts of Unguja and Pemba where the measured plots are 24,320 and 8,589 land use titles issued.

Speaking about the results of the program after conducting an internal assessment, Dr. Mgembe said the program has helped to increase the value of land and increase productivity in production as well as the increase of borrowers in financial institutions.

He also said that there has been a decrease in land disputes and that citizens who have formalized their land have increased the security of their possessions.