Conclusion: Balanced Development

Rural Punjabi landowners—approximately 20 percent of the population—enjoy better access to land record services today than ever before. The poor are unburdened financially from corruption and rent-seeking and can more easily obtain loans for agricultural development.¹ Small landholders and tenant farmers possess better options to improve their lives and contribute to the vitality of the Punjabi agricultural sector and beyond.

Fundamental to provincial agriculture, women now possess an official channel to assert their rights to land inheritance. Through property ownership, women have better opportunities to achieve independence, participate in civil society, and contribute to the formal Punjabi economy.

Flexible and scalable land administration reform through the use of appropriate technology is a key component for comprehensive development. The project bolstered socioeconomic opportunities, created more efficient and responsive governance, and may also redress various issues indirectly contributing to extremism in Punjab.

Small landholders and tenant farmers possess better options to improve their lives and contribute to the vitality of the Punjabi agricultural sector and beyond.

Chief Minister Sharif recently praised the World Bank for its crucial role in successful Punjabi reform projects. He notes that LRMIS is “the best model in the region” and a “matter of great pride for the government.”² The project is indeed a strong example of institutional reform, public sector modernization, and creation of a vital development tool. The new computerized system is a powerful asset and can be leveraged in other government sectors to increase efficiency and craft improved policies. The project can potentially streamline tax collection, inform financial and development planning, and allow for better allocation of government resources.

The project promotes a “level playing field” for all rural landowners.³ As a trusted development partner, the World Bank assisted GoPunjab in the areas of governance, social and rural resilience, education, and agriculture.⁴ Moreover, project benefits reflect many components of Islamabad’s Vision 2025 balanced development plan. This strategy prioritizes human and social capital; inclusive growth; institutional reform and modernization; energy, water, and food security; private sector/entrepreneurial growth; a competitive economy; and modern infrastructure.⁵

The success of the project in the difficult environment of Punjab demonstrates that its lessons and best practices are applicable to jurisdictions with similar challenges.

Land productivity is crucial to the economic vitality of Pakistan.⁶ Through increased tenure security and greater access to finance, the project potentially contributes to the strengthening of the agricultural sector and national economic growth. Effective investment in agriculture and rural development can improve smallholder productivity, create larger crop yields, and contribute to better food security.⁷ Enterprising farmers will have increased protection from seasonal fluctuations and unexpected crises. Consistently ample crop production can help to decrease malnutrition and chronic hunger in Pakistan.⁸

The success of the project in the difficult environment of Punjab demonstrates that its lessons and best practices are applicable to jurisdictions with similar challenges. The collaborative efforts of the World Bank and GoPunjab have created an invaluable roadmap for executives and policymakers in developing countries as well as for members of the international development community. The broader outcomes of LRMIS for a wide array of stakeholders—government officials, farmers, women, the poor, and security forces—should only serve as another reason for other governments to investigate the feasibility of comparable land administration reform.