The government is issuing tenders for IT systems to update the land registration system and turn it into an entirely paperless one, Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg said.

The process of transferring all the data from the current system to the new one would be ready by 2021, he said.

Replying to a parliamentary question by MP Godfrey Farrugia, he said that a sixth of Malta and half of Gozo were considered to be areas eligible for registration, in addition to all government and church properties.

So far there are over 60,000 parcels of property registered, covering an area of 157 square kilometres.

Computerising the system would make it considerably easier for property searches to be carried out, saving third parties considerable fees.

The Land Registry was set up in 1981.