Government to pursue agrarian reforms

Aditya Suharmoko, THE JAKARTA POST, JAKARTA | Sat, 01/16/2010 12:47 PM

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says the government will speed up land reforms by providing the public with greater access to land, and acquire more agricultural land to improve Indonesia's rice production.

"I'd like agrarian reforms with a plus, by which the public can acquire land. I expect this will be carried out by the National Land Agency *BPN* and local administrations," Yudhoyono said Friday in Marunda, near the East Canal Flood area in North Jakarta.

The President was launching the government's Strategic Land Program for the People's Justice and Prosperity. During the launch he also handed over 1.53 million land certificates to the public.

Yudhoyono said the planned issuance of new government regulations was part of the government's first-100-day program to speed up agrarian reforms launched a few years ago.

According to research conducted by the Agriculture Ministry, Indonesia has 11.6 million hectares of farming land, 7.6 million of which is irrigated. The report suggests Indonesia needs another 11.8 million hectares of farm land by 2030 to meet the projected national demand for 59 million tons of rice.

Of the country's total 190 million hectares of land, 101 million hectares is suitable for agriculture without creating a damaging ecological imbalance. At present, 64 million hectares is used for farming, the report says.

Former agriculture minister Anton Apriyantono said many farmers did not own their own land, and most worked as casual laborers for larger farm businesses during the harvest season.

Anton also said farmers had to spend large amounts to obtain land certificates.

Yudhoyono urged the BPN to act quickly in creating an inventory of unclaimed land, which the BPN said estimates to amount to around 7.3 million hectares.

"Manage unclaimed land, settle land disputes and speed up the ongoing land certification process," Yudhoyono instructed the BPN.

"Improve the government's service to the people. Larasita *the People's Service for Land Certification* is a primary program. Come to the people, don't wait until the people come to you," he added.

Through the Larasita program, the BPN will provide cars and motorboats to reach residents of remote and isolated areas, such as the Thousand Islands.

BPN head Joyo Winoto said the agency would soon be able to resolve more than 3,500 land disputes.

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said 69 percent of the property in Jakarta had no land certification. "Jakarta administration and the BPN plan, over the next three years, to speed up the certification of all property belonging to residents and the government."

Yudhoyono said within his first 100 days in office (before Jan. 31) the government would issue a regulation on dormant land.

He also said the government would work to stop speculators, who could cause losses to original landowners and the government when land was needed for development.

The government plans to speed up its infrastructure projects to spur economic growth to between 6.3 percent and 6.8 percent per year over the next five years.

"*If the government doesn't stop speculators* when it *needs land for* a project, the government will have difficulty running the program and the people won't receive decent compensation, but speculators will be the ones who profit," Yudhoyono said.