Limitation on
Limitation on land ownership
From Suara Karya
By virtue of Decree No. 6/1998 of June 26, 1998 issued by State Minister for Agrarian Affairs/Head of the National Land Agency on the awarding of the right of proprietorship on land used for housing purposes, one purchasing a plot of land is required to sign a statement acknowledging that with this land purchase one's right of proprietorship over the land for one's own residence will cover not more than five plots of land, measuring not more than 5,000 square meters.
There are many unclear things in the statement, for example: 1. Are the number of land plots and the total area limited to only one city, regency, province or will they include the entire country? 2. Is this stipulation only for housing purposes? What about the status and conditions of the proprietorship of land used for fisheries, rice cultivation, farming, industry, villas, etc? 3. What about land neglected over a certain period of time? What category of use does such land belong to? 4. What are the status and conditions of land formerly designated for housing purposes but later converted into farmland and vice versa?
These need to be reviewed despite the willingness of land owners to be prosecuted in court, under the prevailing law, in case they give false statements for an official application.
The reality is that no one has ever been tried for violating the law while many land owners in the country have violated this stipulation, as shown in reports submitted to the State Officials' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN).
If this law proves ineffective because its consistent enforcement will clash with the interests of incumbent or former state officials, it is better to have it annulled so that corrupt officials will heartily go on a land-parceling spree until the people can no longer bear it and take the law into their own hands.
Yet, if the government realizes the importance of the enforcement of this agrarian law, it should immediately check the situation and put cases of land ownership in order. Thus, the greed for controlling plots of land and attempts to rescue corruption money can be minimized.
So, KPKPN, what are you going to do then?
WISDARMANTO GS
Jakarta