SBY: Rules on land acquisition politicized
SBY: Rules on land acquisition politicized
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said that he suspected
that land speculators and political parties were behind a recent
protest by a group of people who were demanding that the
government revoke new regulations on land acquisition.
"Land speculators, whose interests are affected by the
regulations, are now teaming up with certain political parties to
annul the regulations. The government will push to introduce the
regulations so that the public will not be easily provoked," he
said on Tuesday when opening the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (Kadin)'s two-day national conference.
The President, however, refused to name names.
The government issued Presidential Regulation No. 36/2005 on
land provision for developments in the public interest last month
in an effort to speed up construction of large infrastructure
projects.
The regulations were issued to resolve problems in land
acquisition for state infrastructure projects, but they have been
strongly opposed by certain groups and political parties in
several provinces who claim that the regulations would jeopardize
the people's right to protect their land.
Included in the government regulations is the authority to
eliminate land owner's rights to withhold their properties,
unless an agreement is made on the compensation payment offered
by the government for the land.
The right, however, will only be applied to a minority of land
owners who fail to agree on compensation terms offered by the
government for land that will be used for public facilities or
infrastructure.
The regulations allow land disputes to be resolved in court,
even while construction of the project continues.
"The regulations are in the interests of the public because
land speculators always try to disrupt land clearance for public
facilities making the cost of construction expensive. Speculators
often disrupt construction of (public) facilities," said Susilo.
He also ordered the Ministry of Public Works to make the
regulations widely known to prevent the public from being
provoked by speculators.
To prevent land speculation the regulations also stipulate a
safeguard arrangements for landowners -- whose land will be used
for public facilities -- in selling their lands to other parties
aside from the government.
People who want to buy land allocated for public facilities in
future, have to seek written approval from local administrations
before they seal the deal.
In the approval, the buyer has to agree that he or she will
not sell the land to other parties at a price higher than that
initially set by the government.
At present, the government and private investors often have to
buy land at higher prices due to the emergence of land
speculators.
Numerous infrastructure projects in the country have run
aground due to problems related to land acquisition, with
investors facing widespread protests from landowners.