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