House Bill No. 8-104-0, authored by Delegate Lentcer Basilius, seeks to amend Chapter 13 of Title 35 of the Palau National Code.
Under the current law, the BLS has until October 30, 2010 to finish its task.
Basilius said that he introduced the bill for consideration in the House as he sees that the deadline imposed on the agency is unreasonable.
“The deadline only creates undue pressure and unrealistic expectations on the bureau,” he pointed out.
Basilius said the BLS needs more time and resources following a number of claimants contesting ownership and boundary lines.
“Before, they thought that the survey and registration of the lands within the country could be finished in a short time, but it is not the case now,” he stressed.
In addition to removing the time limit for the BLS to complete its task, the bill also proposed that those land registration officers who worked for the Land Claims Hearing Office on February 14, 1996, and subsequently employed by the Land Court shall be transferred to and employed by the bureau as civil service employees.
“In this case, once the bill will be enacted into law, they would have continuing employment and would be receiving the same pay as BLS employees,” Basilius pointed out.
The bill proposed that all employees transferred to the bureau shall be paid on the bureau pay scale.
The bill also requires each survey team to prepare monthly report detailing its work for that month, which shall include the number of lots surveyed within the monthly reporting period.
In addition, the bill also states that the director of the bureau is required to prepare a monthly report detailing the lands scheduled to be monumented and surveyed each month, and the actual work performed on these tasks.
Reports shall be transmitted upon request to the President of the Republic, Minister of Resources and Development, Public Infrastructure, Industries and Commerce, chairmen of the House and Senate Committees on Judiciary and Government Affairs, and the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Delegates.
The Basilius bill passed on first reading during the recent session of the House.
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