Conversion of fertile land prohibited, Ginandjar says<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): State Minister of National Development Planning
\nGinandjar Kartasasmita said the government would no longer allow
\nconversion of fertile land into industrial projects fearing they
\nmay threaten the country's rice self-sufficiency.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters after meeting with President Soeharto
\nyesterday, Ginandjar also described the chaotic land use policies
\nat local levels which could lead to other problems, including
\nrife land speculation and conflicts.<\/p>\n
\"The president has ordered that this policy on the prohibition
\nof conversion of rice fields go into effect. Permits for land
\nwhich is already under development for industrial projects will
\nnot be affected,\" Ginandjar said.<\/p>\n
\"But no new permits for industry projects will be issued for
\nthis type of land,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar cited the President as saying that new industrial
\nprojects on Java should be housed in industrial estates spread
\nacross the island which are under-utilized.<\/p>\n
\"It is not that we do not need factories and industrial
\nprojects but that fertile land to feed our people is by far much
\nmore important,\" he said. \"In addition, by the year 2000 we will
\nhave 210 million people. They need to eat.\"<\/p>\n
President Soeharto last month ordered his ministers to
\nsafeguard fertile agriculture land from being used for housing or
\nindustry to protect Indonesia's self-sufficiency in rice
\nproduction.<\/p>\n
Officials said last month that Indonesia's rice output would
\nfall by four percent this year because of a severe dry spell that
\nhas devastated part of the main rice-growing belt of Java.<\/p>\n
\"We can always import rice, but remember that it's not as easy
\nas people imagine,\" Ginandjar said, adding that some of the
\nirrigations on the converted land were actually built with
\nforeign loans which have yet to be paid back.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar pointed out yesterday that the inter-institution
\ncoordinating board for spatial zoning, which includes the
\nministers of agrarian affairs, environment and public works, has
\ndiscovered a number of other problems.<\/p>\n
Among these problems is the overlapping use of forested land
\nand protected forests with mining areas, as well as overlap of
\nland use in the provincial administrations' city plans.<\/p>\n
\"This is a very serious matter, because rapid development
\neffort also means more intense competition to obtain land,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar said many businessmen have been eying plots of
\nfertile land in Sidoarjo, East Java, for their industrial
\nprojects while the surrounding areas like Tuban, with its dry
\nsoil, are more suitable for such purposes.<\/p>\n
He spoke about the deplorable land speculation by businessmen,
\nwho try to appropriate land while the plots they have already
\nbought have not been optimally used.<\/p>\n
Before the coordinating board for spatial zoning was
\nestablished, the provinces and regencies already had zoning laws
\nwhich were not always in accordance with the laws and the
\nnational interests, he said.<\/p>\n
He also warned against the concentration of industrial
\nprojects in the overly-crowded Java as it would hamper the
\ngovernment's intention to spread development efforts to the less-
\ncrowded regions such as eastern Indonesia's provinces.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, we'd find it difficult to stop urbanization,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar also reported to President Soeharto the progress in
\nthe government aid program for poor villages. \"In general, the
\nprogram is proceeding well,\" he said. \"There are some cases of
\nfund misappropriation, but mostly there are successful cases.\"<\/p>\n
In certain regions, the misappropriated funds were replaced
\nwith funds from the budgets of local administrations, having no
\neffect on the program, he said. (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/conversion-of-fertile-land-prohibited-ginandjar-says-1447893297",
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