REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo has made assurance that all land parcels, especially in Tegal, Central Java, will be certified in the next five years. He said that it was in accordance with the target of the minister of BPN (ATR).
"Every land parcels would have been certified in Tegal District by 2023," the president remarked while handing over land titles to the people of Tegal District at the Tri Sanja Sports Center, Tegal District, Friday.
As stated by Deputy of Protocol, Press, and Media of the Presidential Secretariat Bey Machmudin, three thousand certificates were handed over directly by the president to the community in Tegal District this time. Thousands of certificates cover a land area of 1,738,742 square meters.
The president stated that the ownership of land rights by the community must be proven by the existence of certificates, such as Law No. 5 of 1960 on Agrarian Principles as had already been mandated. The certificate is a written evidence that receives legal recognition.
"We know that the certificate is a proof of legal rights to the land that we own. You have land, but if there is no certificate, once the dispute goes to court, you can lose. However, if you have the name, the proof of legal rights to the land is very good. If we hold this way, no one is brave," the president stated.
Unfortunately, he further stressed there are still several Indonesians, who yet do not have land certificates.
This is apparent from the 2015 data indicating that out of 126 million land parcels in Indonesia, only some 46 million land parcels had been recognized. As a result, several land-related disputes have arisen in the community, business world, and government.
According to a report of the Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency Sofyan Djalil, the president remarked that for this year, a target of 60 thousand certificates can already be handed over to the community.
As for all land parcels in Tegal, the government will strive to issue certificates for all land parcels by 2023.
The president said several jobs still exist related to this matter that must be resolved by the government. Hence, it is no wonder that a high target has been announced by the president.
At least seven million certificates must be issued this year. This figure will certainly increase again in the following years.
"Usually in a year, 500 thousand certificates are issued. Last year, I had ordered five million certificates. Alhamdulillah, by the end of the year, five million certificates would have been distributed. This year, seven million certificates must be handed out by the National Land Agency (BPN) office. Next year, the target is nine million certificates," he remarked.
He reiterated that this was urgent in an effort to reduce land disputes.
"What for? This is important, so that people hold legal rights to the land they have," the president added.
Hence, the head of state is optimistic that in the coming years, land dispute issues will slowly reduce and disappear totally along with the ownership of certificates of rights to community land that are increasingly being evenly distributed in the country.
Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/Head of BPN Sofyan Djalil, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Deputy Governor of Central Java Taj Yasin Maimoen, and Tegal District head Umi Azizah also accompanied the president.