REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, AMBON -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said here on Wednesday that he would keep pushing for the immediate completion of 126 land certificates to overcome disputes. He stated that he would never be tired of doing it, because every time he goes to the regions, provinces, or villages, he always hears the same complaint on land dispute.
He made the statement at the handing over of 4,500 land certificates to people in the village of Hattu, Central Maluku district. He noted that there are 126 plots of land that need certification, and so far, only 51 million of them have been finished.
He revealed that only 500 certificates used to be issued a year, and a change had to be made to immediately finish the certification of 126 million plots of land.
He added that he has ordered the Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Order Affairs/Head of National Land Agency (BPN) Sofyan Djalil to produce seven million certificates this year and nine million in 2019.
"Unless we intensify it, land disputes will continue to happen," he explained, adding that he believed it could be achieved, referring to the success in issuing five million last year.
Jokowi stated that all work had to be done based on targets, while warning that he would monitor it. "I will monitor to see which regional office is unable to meet the target. I have made a deal with the minister that he will be discharged if the seven million target is not met. That is how we have to work. Unless we do it, the problem will never be settled," he revealed.
On the occasion, he symbolically handed over certificates to 12 people representing 4,500 recipients.
Djalil noted that the 4,500 certificates covered 2.5 thousand for Ambon city and 2 thousand for Central Maluku. He added that Maluku province had 2.6 million new plots of land, and only 14 percent of them have been certified. For 2018, the target is 57 thousand certificates, he explained.
"In 2017, we were able to issue 44,450 certificates across Maluku province. For 2018, the target is 57 thousand," he elaborated.