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