Breakthrough by Three Ministers Saves Subsidised Housing Projects from RTRW Constraints

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - An agreement between two ministers to accelerate land permitting for subsidised housing has received a positive response from developers. This step is seen as a solution to various obstacles that have hindered housing construction, particularly regarding spatial planning and land status. The Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) Nusron Wahid and the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tito Karnavian previously agreed to push local governments to promptly revise their Regional Spatial Plans (RTRW). This agreement was discussed with the Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas (PKP) Maruarar Sirait, or Ara, during a meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday (22/4/2026). This agreement is expected to provide certainty for previously issued housing permits so they can continue through adjustment mechanisms and local government recommendations. The General Chairman of the Central Board of the All-Indonesia Housing and Settlement Developers Association (Ketum DPP Apersi) Junaidi Abdillah welcomed the step. “This is a good move because there are many field obstacles. By bringing together stakeholders, solutions can be taken more quickly,” said Junaidi Abdillah when met at the Ministry of PKP office in Jakarta on Thursday (23/4/2026). According to him, involving the Ministry of Home Affairs is key because spatial planning issues fall under local government (Pemda) authority. “By involving the Ministry of Home Affairs, policies can directly reach local governments so spatial planning adjustments can be accelerated,” he said. Junaidi explained that one frequent problem faced by developers is land that has already been purchased but is constrained by spatial planning regulations, including land in certain categories that requires additional recommendations. Going forward, he said, land that has been purchased or already has permits will be re-verified to ensure legal certainty and not hinder housing construction. In addition, the government is opening a special communication channel between developers and relevant ministries to accommodate complaints and accelerate the resolution of field problems. Junaidi noted that spatial planning issues occur in various regions, especially on Java island. According to him, these obstacles have caused the subsidised housing construction process to proceed slowly. “While waiting for Perda (Regional Regulation), Perkada (Regional Head Regulation) can be used so construction does not stop,” he said. This aims to ensure that various obstacles, especially related to land and spatial planning, can be resolved quickly to accelerate the national housing programme.