Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Handover of Decrees of Social Forest and Land Objects for Agrarian Reform (TORA) in Humbang Hasundutan Regency, North Sumatra Province, February 3, 2022

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Good afternoon,
May peace be upon us all,
Shalom,
Om Swastiastu.

Distinguished Ministers of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet joining here Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of the Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya;
Distinguished Governor of North Sumatra who is already known by all of you in North Sumatra and other Governors joining online;
Distinguished Regent of Humbang Hasundutan and other Regents joining here;
Distinguished Social Forestry Business Communities.

Ladies and Gentlemen.

As Minister of the Environment and Forestry said that all of you have received Decree of Social Forest. All beneficiaries, please raise your hand. As many as 723 Social Forest Decrees have been distributed to farmers all over Indonesia. We have to be grateful for that. The 723 Social Forest Decrees cover an area of 469 thousand hectares of land or almost half million hectares of land for 118 thousand beneficiaries.

Related to customary forest, every year the Government continues to handover Customary Forest Decrees. Today, we have handed over 12 Customary Forest Decrees and two Indicative Decrees of Customary Forest. We will continue to do that (hand over customary forest decrees). We will not stop here.

Another decree is Decree of Land Objects for Agrarian Reform (TORA). TORA Decree beneficiaries, please raise your hand. Approximately 30 thousand hectares of land was given. It is hectare, not quadrat meter. 30 thousand hectares of land for five provinces. It will be distributed in stages.

What should we do after receiving these decrees? After receiving these decrees, both TORA Decree and Customary Forest Decree, I urge you all to utilize and optimize the land immediately. (After receiving these decrees), Do not let it abandoned. As for the 50 percent of land, you can plant woody plants while the other 50 percent of land can be planted seasonal plants. You can plant maize, you can plant soybeans, you can plant rice, you can plant fruit trees, or you can plant coffee beans. You can also develop agroforestry system or livestock farming. If it is mangrove forest, you can also develop fish farming. The possibility is clear.

Once again, I remind all beneficiaries to optimize the land for productive activities. Please, do not handover (sell or loan) the land to others considering it is valuable. Please be prudent and cautious. If the decree is misused, we will revoke it. Please be cautious. We distribute it to the people to optimize it, not to handover it to others. Do not let it abandoned. We will keep monitoring it, do not think that we will not or we let it go. No! That is not kind of my duty. We distribute it, then we will keep monitoring it.

Why we do this? A lot of lands that the Government has given the decrees have been abandoned. How many hectares, Mrs. Minister (of the Environment and Forestry)? Three million hectares of land? Yes, the decrees of three million hectares of land have been revoked. Why? They let the land abandoned. More than 10 years the lands have been abandoned (unproductive). Thus, we take it back, then we will distribute it again (if it there is productive activity). That is our working model. If you abandon the land, we will revoke the decree.

I call on to preserve it, do not let it deforested. Previously, I have found that the forest is deforested. Please, be cautious.

I also see that it is big opportunity. Collaboration is needed. All of you can cooperate with private companies or you can cooperate with banks. But, please be prudent. All must be accountable and calculated. (If you loan money from bank), you have to check whether you can return the loan bill or not. Please be prudent, you have easy loan but you find difficult to return the loan bill.

I appeal to Minister of the Environment and Forestry to provide the Government’s assistance. I also expected that Mrs. Minister can invite all beneficiaries to visit the successful social forest to know more about how to manage it. “Oh, I see, I understand,” after visiting there, go home and implement it. Provide fast assistance to show how to manage it properly. It is simple, isn’t it? Okay, then I will appeal to Minister of the Environment and Forestry and Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency.

After all of those things, the next important thing is land ownership right. If the land has been productive, report to Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/the National Land Agency to obtain land ownership certificate (SHM). It is simple, isn’t it? Do not let it abandoned, we will revoke it.

That concludes my speech on this auspicious occasion. If there is any question, please ask Minister of the Environment and Forestry and Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency.

I thank you.

Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
Om santi santi santi om.

(AP/MUR)