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I am just trying to understand what is going on and the process.

A khmer friend was asked to return to their village as various plots of land already in their own name needed to be re-registered , on arrival they were asked for various amounts ranging from $30 to $300 depending in the plot size. Also people in the village were going to money lenders to borrow money to comply.

I know that nationally there is a programme to document and record land ownership but it seems ridiculous to expect what are in fact substance farmers to go into debt to re-register land aĺready in their own names. Is this a government fee or just "tea money"‽

It sounds like they are being asked to return to take part in Cambodia's National Land Registration Program, which is a process that has been going on for several years, in order to issue LMAP Hard Titles to all privately owned land throughout Cambodia, they need to provide all necessary identity documentation and land ownership titles (soft titles) and ensure there are no boundary conflicts with neighbours, etc. There are no official fees associated with this programme, sounds like they are being milked for tea money, my wife and I have been through the process several times.

I can see some pain and misery coming up for a fair few people who don’t take care of important paperwork.

PSD-Kiwi wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:15 pm It sounds like they are being asked to return to take part in Cambodia's National Land Registration Program, which is a process that has been going on for several years, in order to issue LMAP Hard Titles to all privately owned land throughout Cambodia, they need to provide all necessary identity documentation and land ownership titles (soft titles) and ensure there are no boundary conflicts with neighbours, etc. There are no official fees associated with this programme, sounds like they are being milked for tea money, my wife and I have been through the process several times.

They did the same in- and around Ban Lung town pre-covid. Everything was measured and mapped with GPS coordinates. Disputes had to be settled, or no hard title was given out / measurements taken..
When the hard titles were ready for collection a 500r fee per SQ. M. was charged, despite the fact the whole program has been funded by the Asian development bank. Upon request receipts were given out for the amount paid.

Kammekor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 9:12 pm When the hard titles were ready for collection a 500r fee per SQ. M. was charged, despite the fact the whole program has been funded by the Asian development bank. Upon request receipts were given out for the amount paid.

Still a reasonable and fair price to pay to have a Nationally registered and secured property title in my opinion, I'd have no issue paying that, but we haven't been asked for any form of payment any of the times we've been through the process.

PSD-Kiwi wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 9:20 pm

Kammekor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 9:12 pm When the hard titles were ready for collection a 500r fee per SQ. M. was charged, despite the fact the whole program has been funded by the Asian development bank. Upon request receipts were given out for the amount paid.

Still a reasonable and fair price to pay to have a Nationally registered and secured property title in my opinion, I'd have no issue paying that, but we haven't been asked for any form of payment any of the times we've been through the process.

Unless you're a rice farmer and own a Hectare (10,000 square metres).

PSD-Kiwi wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 9:20 pm

Kammekor wrote: ↑Wed Jun 29, 2022 9:12 pm When the hard titles were ready for collection a 500r fee per SQ. M. was charged, despite the fact the whole program has been funded by the Asian development bank. Upon request receipts were given out for the amount paid.

Still a reasonable and fair price to pay to have a Nationally registered and secured property title in my opinion, I'd have no issue paying that, but we haven't been asked for any form of payment any of the times we've been through the process.

I do mind because it's not an official fee and I'm pretty sure the money is split between the village chief, the head of the Sangkat and the staff of the land management office and it's not used towards further registration of land titles around Cambodia.
Anyway, I refused to pay up for over a year, but had to give in at the end.

Kammekor wrote: ↑Thu Jun 30, 2022 10:33 am I do mind because it's not an official fee and I'm pretty sure the money is split between the village chief, the head of the Sangkat and the staff of the land management office and it's not used towards further registration of land titles around Cambodia.
Anyway, I refused to pay up for over a year, but had to give in at the end.

I wrongly assumed that you were referring to an official fee which must have been introduced, since receipts were issued. If not official fees, then I'd be pissed too.