Govt drafting regulation to limit land holdings<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government is currently drafting a
\nregulation to limit the size of land holdings by individuals,
\nState Minister of Agrarian Affairs Soni Harsono said yesterday.<\/p>\n
In a speech marking the 36th anniversary of the Land Reforms
\nLaw, Soni said that while the legislation recognizes individual
\nownership of land, it also underlines the \"social function\" that
\nsuch ownership entails.<\/p>\n
Ideally, the maximum holding in a city like Jakarta should be
\nset at 5,000 square meters per individual, he said.<\/p>\n
The limit would be different for companies, however, depending
\non how they use the land, whether it is for housing, plantations,
\nsport facilities, or a business district and others, he said<\/p>\n
Companies and individuals must also comply with the permits
\nissued by the government, and what sort of land use is allowed by
\nthe permits, said Soni, who also chairs the National Land Agency.<\/p>\n
He did not say whether the 5,000-square-meter limit will be
\nimposed in the regulation now being drafted.<\/p>\n
The limitation will be based on the principle of justice and
\nprotection of people's welfare, he said, stressing that
\nprotecting the interest of the \"little people\" is foremost in any
\ngovernment regulation.<\/p>\n
Prior to the issuance of the regulation, the government will
\nsurvey the present pattern of landownership and distribution of
\npopulation, he said.<\/p>\n
The government will move cautiously because new land
\nregulations in the past often incited problems, Soni said.<\/p>\n
The enactment of the 1960 Land Reforms Law has been toasted
\neach year, by government and non-governmental organizations
\n(NGOs) alike, because it was a landmark piece of legislation that
\nsought to ensure justice over land ownership in predominantly
\nrural Indonesia.<\/p>\n
On Monday, a consortium of 65 NGOs concerned with land rights,
\nurged the government to impose limits on land holdings, saying
\nthat the massive land buying by powerful businesses come at the
\nexpense of indigenous people.<\/p>\n
Soni said that as the 1960 legislation only gives broad
\noutlines on land ownership, \"it has flexibility\" in accommodating
\nchanges in society that have occurred in the last 36 years.<\/p>\n
\"There is no need to change the law,\" he said in his speech
\nbefore some 80 officials at the National Land Agency.<\/p>\n
The government has issued various regulations to implement the
\n1960 legislation, he said. \"We will continue to improve them to
\nkeep up with changes in society.<\/p>\n
\"Three decades ago, the law was enacted chiefly to regulate
\nagricultural land. Nowadays, the land is also used for industrial
\nand residential areas,\" he said.<\/p>\n
To accommodate these changes, the government has also enacted
\nregulations that allow people to mortgage their property to
\nobtain bank loans, he said. (16)<\/p>",
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