The Ministry of Lands has cautioned the public against 'eArdhi Group Holdings', an agency which is purporting to offer guidance on how to navigate some of the ministry's platforms.
In a statement on Wednesday, May 21, the ministry, through the State Department for Lands and Physical Planning, emphasised that it has no ties with the entity. The agency claims to offer coaching lessons on how to navigate the 'Ardhisasa' platform for a fee.
On its official website, the company further claims to offer other land services, such as helping individuals with land status checks, title validation, and land digitisation.
"The State Department for Lands and Physical Planning wishes to notify the general public that it has no association or affiliation with the entity called 'eArdhi Group Holdings Ltd'," the department said.
Ardhisasa is a platform that enables digital land transactions and provides access to land information and related services. The platform enables users to digitally conduct land searches, register transfers, pay land rent, and access other services like physical planning and valuation.
According to the Department, free tutorials are available on its official social media platforms to guide the public on how to navigate the platform. Additionally, the department has clarified that Ardhisasa experts are only sourced from the department.
The ministry has, in turn, warned the entity against lifting coaching materials from the department's platforms and projecting itself as having any form of partnership with the department.
"It is legally wrong to mislead the public and create the impression that the State Department is charging for public education services that are offered for free," the department said.
"A full inventory of free and up-to-date tutorials ranging from the basics of opening an account to the more specialised operations targeting professional groups like lawyers, available at no cost on our media platforms," the department said.
“Persons practising estate agency without registration are doing so against the law and risk prosecution,” it stated.
