Over 13,000 Problematic Land Plots in Transmigration Areas Now Certified
Minister of Transmigration (Mentrans) M Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara has revealed that more than 13,000 problematic land plots in transmigration areas have now been successfully certified.
He emphasised the importance of safeguarding these lands to prevent them from becoming problematic or lost in the future.
“Now there are more than 13,000 (land plots), they are certified, no longer overlapping,” said Iftitah when responding to Kompas.com in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on Thursday (16/4/2026).
According to him, efforts to resolve land issues in transmigration areas face various limitations, particularly in terms of budget.
Iftitah then compared the current situation to the past when transmigration budgets were much larger.
“In the past, in one year it reached up to 50,000 plots. But in the 1990s, the Ministry of Transmigration’s budget was even more than twice that of the Ministry of Defence,” he said.
“The current President has priority programme focuses. But clearly, transmigration has been re-established because we have land and manpower (human resources),” he stated.
He emphasised that the value of land in transmigration areas will continue to increase in the long term, so it needs to be certified promptly and managed properly.
“Land prices over 10–15 years show an upward trend. Transmigration land is the same. That’s why it must be certified and managed well. Don’t let it be lost,” he said.
Iftitah also gave examples of changes in the value of transmigration areas that are now developing rapidly.
He mentioned that several areas that were once remote now have high economic value along with infrastructure development and economic activities.
“For example, in Telang, you used to go there by small boat, now it’s crossed by a toll road. In West Manggarai, it was once considered a remote place, now people are competing for it because it’s close to Labuan Bajo,” he said.
In addition, the potential of natural resources such as minerals, oil, and coal in several transmigration areas also increases land value.
“Don’t just release the land and then it’s taken. Local communities must get the benefits. That’s what we’re coordinating with relevant ministries,” said Iftitah.
Therefore, the government will continue land certification and arrangement in transmigration areas so that all land plots have legal certainty while providing economic benefits to the community.