Gov’t Aims to Issue 7 Million of Land Certificates This Year

President Jokowi attends the 2018 National Working Meeting of the Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency at Puri Agung Convention Hall, Sahid Jaya Hotel, Jakarta, on Wednesday (10/1)

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo applauded the performance of Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (BPN) that could meet the target to issue 5 million land certificates last year.

“I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the whole personnel of Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency from the central level to the district and city levels for meeting the target set for 2017,” President Jokowi said during the Opening of the 2018 National Working Meeting of the Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning /National Land Agency at Puri Agung Convention Hall, Sahid Jaya Hotel, Jakarta, on Wednesday (10/1).

The President added that target for the Ministry in 2018 has been increased to 7 million certificates and given the performance of the Ministry that could  meet the target in 2017, President Jokowi believes that the 2018 target can also be met.

“If we work without certain targets, the issue of land certificate will never be solved,” the President said.

President Jokowi explained that he has visited many regions and listened to people’s inputs about land disputes and difficulties in land acquisition process. The President also compared toll roads in Indonesia with those in neighboring countries. “Let us compare toll roads with those in Malaysia, Vietnam, and China. When we constructed Jagorawi Toll Road in 1977, those countries learned from us  about land acquisition, toll construction, and management. Until 2014, toll roads in Indonesia is only 780 km in length, while toll roads in China is 280.000 km. It indicates that there is a problem, namely difficulties in land acquisition process,” the President said.

According to President Jokowi, constructions of Trans Java Toll Road connecting Merak and Banyuwangi are targeted to be completed in 2019 and the President believes the constructions will be completed right on time. “If there is a willing and we set aside personal interest, it can be completed,” the President added.

President Jokowi admitted that he has set target for Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency to certify all plots of land in Indonesia by 2025. The President added that providing land rights to the people is a fundamental and basic principle in several countries.

“We should do the same thing. I am sure this matter relating land certificate can be settled. The people can be more prosperous and we can bring social justice for all Indonesians,” the President said.

The 2018 National Working Meeting of the Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency is attended by around 900 officials of the Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/ National Land Agency. Accompanying President Jokowi in the event were Minister of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/ the Head of National Land Agency Sofyan Djalil, and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung.  (GUN/DNS/ES) (RAS/EP/YM/Naster)