Demand for land mapping and survey services seen rising

JAKARTA (JP): Demand for land mapping and survey services is likely to grow this year as regions gain more autonomy from Jakarta, the National Coordinating Agency for Surveying and Mapping (Bakosurtanal) said on Saturday.

Bakosurtanal head Joenil Kahar said that provincial administrations would need maps and natural resource data of their respective regions.

The bulk of these services are expected to be provided by the private sector because the central and regional administrations could not afford to do them by themselves, Joenil said on the sidelines of the 10th ASEAN Federation of Land Surveying and Geomatics (Flag) council meeting at Atlet Century Park Hotel.

An official of the National Land Agency (BPN) separately said that investors, local and foreign, were invited to take part in the mapping and surveying business in Indonesia.

"The government can only afford to provide standard maps, not maps for special purposes," BPN Deputy Head for Land Survey and Registration Kurdinanto Sarah said.

Priority should be given to investors of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations), he said, adding that the 10 member countries would have to help each other in departing from being target markets for foreign technology.

"We propose the creation of a regional education and training center on land surveying," Kurdinanto said.

The center could be built in Indonesia, Malaysia or Brunei, he added.

He also said that, in the future, independent licensed surveyors must no longer depend on government projects, but must create their own activities after which they could sell the results.

"Up to now, most independent surveyors wait for government projects and funds," Kurdinanto, who is also chairman of the Indonesian Surveyors Association (ISI), said.

Joenil agreed that the skills of local surveyors must be upgraded and a competency standard for the profession must be formulated.

"This morning (Saturday) we will compare our standardization concept with those of the other ASEAN members, and we will try to combine them together so there will be no disputes afterward," Kurdinanto said.

ASEAN Flag is a non-governmental organization which has been recognized by ASEAN since 1996. Members include individuals and professional organizations from members of ASEAN. Abdul Majid bin Mohamed from Malaysia is the current president. (10)