Govt mulls redistributing neglected plots to landless<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government is considering taking over or increasing taxes
\non neglected farm and plantation land, and distributing the plots
\nto the landless as part of an agrarian reform program, an
\nofficial says.<\/p>\n
Lutfi Ibrahim Nasution, head of the State Land Agency, said on
\nTuesday the idea arose in response to the growing number of
\nlandless in the country, as well as the fact that many concession
\nholders neglected their plots.<\/p>\n
\"The state awards concessions either for plantations or
\nfarming, not to be neglected. It is not fair if the land is
\nneglected while there are millions of landless laborers who are
\nready to cultivate the land,\" he said after a seminar on land
\nreform organized by the Indonesian Farmers Associations (HKTI).<\/p>\n
According to an agriculture census in 2003, the number of
\nlandless laborers is increasing by 1.7 percent each year. In
\n2003, they numbered 24.4 million, up from 20.5 million in 1993.
\nThe agriculture census is taken by the government every 10 years.<\/p>\n
Over 2,000 companies currently control concessions covering
\n4.6 million hectares of lands across the country.<\/p>\n
Lutfi said concession holders were required to use the land
\nfor farming or plantations to maintain and support the country's
\nfood supply.<\/p>\n
He said the government was considering awarding some 22 square
\nmeters of farmland to each landless laborer.<\/p>\n
\"We might take over neglected concessions or impose more taxes
\non concession holders to finance this project. But we are still
\ndiscussing this,\" Lutfi said.<\/p>\n
The laborers would not get the land free, but would have to
\npay for it in installments. And the plots could not be sold for
\nany purpose other than farming. Lutfi said he hoped the program
\ncould be applied in densely populated areas.<\/p>\n
He also said the government was considering placing limits on
\nthe amount of land companies could control.<\/p>\n
\"I know of a company that owns more than 260,000 hectares of
\nland, which is equivalent to 22 times the size of the town of
\nBogor town (in West Java), while the amount of farmland continues
\nto decrease due to rampant development,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The government, Lutfi said, was considering limiting
\ncompanies' land ownership to 40,000 hectares of land per
\nprovince.<\/p>\n
HKTI chairman Siswono Yudohusodo suggested the government ban
\nthe conversion of farmland into housing or other non-farming
\npurposes, particularly in Java and Bali.<\/p>\n
\"The government must prohibit farmers from selling their land
\nfor non-farming purposes,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Siswono fears the loss of farmland to housing complexes,
\nroads, dams and other infrastructure could eventually leave the
\ncountry unable to meet its food demands.<\/p>\n
\"It would be a blow to small farmers, whose numbers increase
\nevery year, and the whole nation if we had to import food,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Indonesia faces massive problems regarding the distribution of
\nland among small farmers, wealthy farmers and the private sector.<\/p>\n
And uncertainty over land ownership has led to disputes
\nbetween landless laborers and corporate land owners, a situation
\nthat has been neglected for over three decades.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-mulls-redistributing-neglected-plots-to-landless-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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