Councillor expresses dismay over 'girik' document issue<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A councillor expressed concern yesterday over
\nthe city administration's declaration that girik land documents
\nwere not land ownership certificates. Girik documents are issued
\nby the taxation office and set out tax liability in relation to
\nland. Many Jakarta residents rely on these documents as proof of
\nownership.<\/p>\n
Ratih R. Purnami, a member of City Council's Commission D,
\nwhich is responsible for development affairs, urged the city
\nadministration to reconsider the move or, at least, to allow for
\ncertain exceptions.<\/p>\n
\"The girik land document holders are mostly people with little
\neducation, who do not understand how to complete or process
\nproper land certificates. They usually inherit their land from
\ngeneration to generation,\" Ratih said.<\/p>\n
The chief of the Jakarta office of the National Land Agency,
\nH. Sunar, announced on Saturday that girik documents were not
\nevidence of land ownership, since they were not issued by the
\nland agency.<\/p>\n
Girik documents, issued by the tax office, showed only who was
\nresponsible for paying tax in relation to a particular plot of
\nland, he said.<\/p>\n
Djenny Suharso, another councillor of Commission A, agreed
\nwith Ratih that girik land documents were important and could
\nevidence land ownership.<\/p>\n
\"Girik land documents are still important because they can be
\nused to show possession of land. They can also be used in
\napplying for building permits,\" Djenny said. \"Girik land
\ndocuments can be used for tracing the history of the ownership of
\na plot of land,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Sunar, however, said that the administration's announcement
\nhad been made in order to protect the public's interests and
\nrights over land.<\/p>\n
\"Most of the land problems in Jakarta result from imbalances
\nbetween the rights and obligations of land owners over their
\nland,\" Sunar said. He did not elaborate.<\/p>\n
The office would always endeavor to solve every land problem
\nin accordance with the existing laws and regulations, he said.<\/p>\n
Sunar said that in any land dispute the National Land Agency
\nwould always check the status of the land, the relationship
\nbetween the owner and the land under the law, the owner of any
\nbuilding on the land and so on. (31)<\/p>",
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