Doing Inclusive Business in Guinea Bissau: Re-activating the 1998 Land Law
Christopher Tanner & Camille Bourguignon
This paper discusses the 1998 Land Law of Guinea Bissau and its relevance to address today?s land administration issues. The law was developed to reconcile customary land rights with a surging demand for land by private investors. It recognizes customary land rights and introduces mechanisms to allow investors to acquire Rights of Private Use. However, implementation of the 1998 Land Law was stopped by years of civil war and political instability. Following the election of 2014, the Government of Guinea Bissau intends to implement the 1998 Land Law as part of its rural and agricultural investment strategy. Circumstances have changed however, with massive expansion of cashew production after years of weak regulatory control. Some query the continuing relevance of the Land Law, but the authors argue that the underlying structural conditions are not significantly different than in the mid-1990s and that the need for the negotiated land access model of the 1998 Land Law is perhaps even greater than when it was developed.
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