Four Million Land Plots Remain Uncertified Until February
Jakarta — Indonesia’s Ministry of Agraria and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) has recorded that 122 million land plots have been certified out of a total of approximately 126 million land plots in Indonesia. The government is now pursuing the completion of certification for the remaining approximately 4 million land plots.
Deputy Minister of ATR/Deputy Chief of BPN, Ossy Dermawan, stated that the acceleration of land certification is a process that naturally progresses alongside the transformation of the national land system.
“This will naturally transform over time. It is hoped that eventually all land plots will be held with certificates,” said Ossy when met at his office in South Jakarta on Thursday (26 February 2026).
He explained that girik (traditional land documents) are no longer recognised as formal evidence of land tenure from February onwards, in accordance with the mandate of applicable laws and regulations. However, such documents may still serve as supplementary documentation in the process of administering land rights.
The ATR/BPN ministry has called upon members of the public still holding girik, petok, letter C documents, or possessing only a Deed of Sale (AJB) to visit the local land office (kantah) so that these can be converted into certificates, thereby ensuring that legal certainty is registered and certified by the state.
On the same occasion, Ossy also addressed the condition of land offices in disaster-affected areas, particularly in Aceh Tamiang.
“The most severely damaged area is indeed in Aceh Tamiang; the others are relatively still usable and are now operating well,” he said.
“So generally speaking, there is no land service that has been massively affected there. Meaning everything can still operate,” said Ossy.
Additionally, Ossy responded to the matter of Protected Paddy Land (LSD) which has been protested by several developers. He noted that LSD data is currently being updated.
“As we understand it at the ATR/BPN Ministry, this LSD data is based on 2019 data. Now the Minister, the ATR/BPN Ministry, is updating that data,” he said.
“Once this data is sound, all of our regions communicate, exchange data, and if the regions also have the mandate of the National Medium-Term Development Plan with 87 per cent of the Standard Paddy Land Area (LBS) being LSD, then this land use conversion can automatically be carried out in a measurable manner,” he concluded.