Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer

Spanish Town, St. Catherine:

With 110 certificates of title handed over by the National Land Agency to residents throughout St Catherine yesterday, they have now moved from squatter status to proud landowners.

"There were times when we were even ashamed to come out of a taxi near the Dinthill High School, as persons used to call us squatters," remarked Curdel Smith, one of the recipients. "But thank you Jesus this has now changed and we have our titles."

The titles, which were handed over to them by Commissioner of Land Elizabeth Steer, formally put a stop to payments by persons under the land settlement scheme for land that was sold to them by the Government more than 20 years ago.

According to Mrs. Steer, the titles that were given to these people elevated them to becoming proud landowners who will, as such, only be paying taxes on their property.

Several of the recipients expressed gratitude and considered it work well done by those who saw it fit to allow them to benefit under the land settlement programme.

In his address Roger Clarke, Minister of Agriculture and Lands, told the gathering that 400 more titles would be handed over to persons throughout St. Catherine in very short order.