Over 10,000 RI assets in E. Timor remain in limbo<\/p>\n
The fate of over 10,000 assets belonging to Indonesia in East
\nTimor remains uncertain as the government there has delayed the
\nestablishment of a joint subcommittee to deal with the assets.<\/p>\n
\"We have repeatedly appealed (to the East Timorere government)
\nto set up the subcommittee immediately, but it has not been set
\nup due to technical problems,\" head of the Representative Office
\nof the Republic of Indonesia in Dili Fauzi Bustami said early
\nthis week.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's assets in East Timor are classified into three --
\ngovernment assets, business enterprise assets (state-owned
\nenterprises and firms), and individual assets.<\/p>\n
Indonesia and East Timor have had two Joint Ministerial
\nCommittee (JMC) meetings to resolve the assets issue. The first
\nJMC meeting was held in October 2002 in Jakarta, while the
\nsecond, in Dili in September 2003.<\/p>\n
In the second JMC, both countries agreed to set up a Technical
\nSubcommittee on Assets which would hold focused discussions on
\nthe assets.<\/p>\n
The assets question is an increasingly urgent one as East
\nTimor has enacted a law banning land ownership by foreigners.<\/p>\n
In March 2003, East Timor enacted Law No. 1\/2003 on the legal
\nstatus of immovable assets. The law stipulates that, among other
\nthings, foreigners cannot obtain ownership over land in East
\nTimor. It also requires foreigners who have assets in East Timor
\nto register their property with the land directorate.<\/p>\n
Indonesians, according to Fauzi, have a total of over 10,000
\nassets registered through the Home Affairs Ministry in Jakarta,
\nwhich was submitted to East Timor's embassy in Jakarta and then
\nthe land directorate.<\/p>\n
Some property owners registered directly with the land
\ndirectorate in Dili, some with the East Timor association in
\nKupang, East Nusa Tenggara, and others through the Representative
\nOffice of the Republic of Indonesia in Dili.<\/p>\n
\"The total value of those assets is still unknown as they are
\nbeing registered,\" Fauzi said.<\/p>\n
He also said that many assets registered with the land
\ndirectorate lacked complete information or supporting documents,
\nsuch as the precise location and the size of certain property.<\/p>\n
\"Since the subcommittee has not been established yet, it is
\ndifficult to gauge whether landownership by foreigners would
\ntranslate into the right to use it; otherwise the owners would
\nhave to sell it to the East Timor government,\" Fauzi said.
\n-- Kanis Dursin<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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