Controversial land ruling harms farmers<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
These days, money beats everything.
\n\"If the government is willing to give me a good deal on my
\nplot of land, then I will give it up and find a new living
\nelsewhere, maybe as an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver,\" said
\nSolichin, the owner of a 300-square-meter plot of land in Krukut,
\nsouth of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Solichin's lot, planted with cassava trees whose fruit and
\nleaves he sells at the nearby market, is located in an area that
\nwill likely be affected by the construction of a new toll road in
\nSouth Jakarta.<\/p>\n
For Solichin, who lives just half an hours drive from the
\ncity, finding a income source elsewhere when he has to give up
\nhis land will perhaps not be too difficult.<\/p>\n
But it is a different story for rural farmers, whose
\nlivelihoods depend solely on the land they own.<\/p>\n
\"For rural farmers, land is their only means of subsistence
\nthat guarantees that their family will have something to eat,\"
\nIndonesian Farmers Association (HKTI) vice chairman Agusdin
\nPulungan told a discussion panel on the pros and cons of planned
\nnew land regulations on Monday.<\/p>\n
The discussion panel agreed that Presidential Regulation No.
\n36\/2005 on Land Provision for the Development of Public Interests
\nviolated people's basic rights to livelihood and only favored
\ncapital owners.<\/p>\n
They demanded that the regulation issued earlier this month be
\nrevised \"in the interest of the public\".<\/p>\n
Land acquisition has often become an obstacle for
\ninfrastructure development due to land owners rejecting offers
\nfor their land, stifling investment in the sector, while at the
\nsame time the nation needs to speed up such development in order
\nto support a more competitive economy that will create more jobs.<\/p>\n
With the newly-issued regulation, the government is authorized
\nto unilaterally revoke an individual's right to their property.<\/p>\n
The public facilities listed in the controversial regulation
\nfor which compulsory acquisition can be carried out includes road
\nprojects, public hospitals, seaports, airports, train stations
\nand power plants.<\/p>\n
\"Such public facilities will not benefit farmers when they
\nhave nothing to live from,\" Agusdin said, insisting that the
\nregulation was repressive, authoritarian and beneficial only to
\nrich people.<\/p>\n
\"The government has issued permits for 6.5 million hectares of
\nland to business entities, but currently only 1.5 million is
\nactually used,\" Agusdin said.<\/p>\n
\"In the previous land regulation -- Presidential Decree No.
\n55\/1993 -- the term public use is clearly stated as meaning non-
\nprofit activity,\" land committee head S. B. Silalahi said.<\/p>\n
He said that infrastructure projects, which would return a
\nprofit to investors, were not eligible to be called public
\nfacilities.<\/p>\n
In common with previous regulations, the new regulation also
\nstipulates that compensation for land owners is based on the
\nland's taxable value of property (NJOP), and its current market
\nprice is determined by an independent appraiser.<\/p>\n
Silalahi added that any development projects should be based
\non local people's aspirations and potential, thus responsibility
\nto appraise and oversee such projects should be given to local
\nauthorities and representatives.<\/p>\n
\"First, there should be better and clearer spatial planning
\nthat involves public participation in order to avoid future
\nconflicts between the authorities and local community, as well as
\nwithin communities themselves,\" land reform expert Gunawan Wiradi
\ntold the same discussion.<\/p>\n
He said that with greater public participation in the planning
\nand location of public facilities, it would avoid conflict in
\nterms of misuse of resumed land for private profit, aside from
\ntackling problems with acquisitions.<\/p>\n
\"There should be an independent land reform body that should
\ncompile data on land usage, supervise rights and obligations of
\nland owners as well as recommend permits for land use to the
\nNational Land Agency,\" Agusdin said.<\/p>\n
He said the HKTI along with other non-governmental
\norganizations would push for a review of the regulations
\nconcerning land reform. (003)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/controversial-land-ruling-harms-farmers-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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