Press Statement of President of the Republic of Indonesia after Electronic Land Certificate Handover to the People at Tawang Alun Sports Hall, Banyuwangi Regency, East Java Province, April 30, 2024

In a competition, there are always winners and losers. Last night, I saw the hard work and determination of our U-23 National Team, even though they didn’t secure a win. However, there are still two more opportunities to qualify for the [Paris 2024] Olympics: I hope we can win the upcoming match for third place and, if not, there is another match against Guinea from Africa. I have the feeling that we will make it to the Olympics, God willing.

Reporter:

(inaudible)

President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo:

Many have said that the certificates we issued were for land that already existed and just needed certification. But we should all know that some of these certificates are for land redistribution, including former HGU (Right to Cultivate) land and former forest land that we gave to the people because they have lived there for decades. For example, in Banyuwangi, some have been there for over 80 years. Since 23,000 villages in our country are located within or on the edges of forests, this often leads to conflicts between villages and state-owned enterprises, or with private companies. Such conflicts are very dangerous. So, we have issued 10,300 certificates here and handed them over to the owners, and we hope the land will become productive. It can be used to grow corn, rice.. If the land is unused, the certificate can also be used as collateral for bank loans to start businesses. I believe that with these certificates, people will have the opportunity to be productive and to succeed.

Thank you,

Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.