Inspector General of ATR/BPN: Government Will Redistribute 9 Million Hectares of Agricultural Land to the People

[Unpad.ac.id, 8/09/2016] The government expects to redistribute 9 million hectares of agricultural land to be distributed to the people. This target is the implementation of agrarian reform launched by President Joko Widodo to reduce inequality in land ownership by the people. The effort is expected to be completed by 2019.

Inspektur Jenderal Kementerian Agraria dan Tata Ruang/Badan Pertanahan Nasional RI, Dr. Yuswanda A. Temenggung, DEA, saat menyampaikan keynote speech pada Seminar Nasional “The Landformation 2016” yang digelar Fakultas Pertanian Unpad bekerja sama dengan Himpunan Ilmu Tanah Indonesia (HITI) di Auditorium Pascasarjana Fikom Unpad Kampus Jatinangor, Kamis (8/09). (Foto oleh: Tedi Yusup)*
Inspector General of the Ministry of Agricultural and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN), Dr. Yuswanda A. Tomonggong, DEA, when delivering the keynote speech at the National Seminar on “The Landformation 2016” organized by the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Padjadjaran in collaboration with the Indonesian Association of Soil Science (HITI) at the Auditorium of the Graduate Program, Faculty of Communication, Unpad Jatinangor, Thursday (8/09). (Photo by: Tedi Yusup) *

This was conveyed by the Inspector General (IG) of the Ministry of Agricultural and Spatial Planning / National Land Agency (ATR/BPN), Dr. Yuswanda A. Tomonggong, DEA, when delivering the keynote speech at the National Seminar on “The Landformation 2016” organized by the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Padjadjaran University in collaboration with the Indonesian Association of Soil Science (HITI) at the Auditorium of the Graduate Program, Faculty of Communication, Unpad Jatinangor, Thursday (08/09).

Yuswanda said, the GINI Index value tenure (land outside the forest area) by the public in Indonesia tends to be high, ie at the rate of 0.59. This figure proves that the inequality of land ownership in Indonesia is still high. Land tenure is not fully controlled by a small community.

“Indonesia is apparently quite tolerant on this figure. In Latin America, the figure is already causing turmoil,” he said.

Redistribution target of 9 million hectares is the Government’s effort in reducing the GINI index of land tenure.Yuswanda said that, if the Government has been able to perform the injection of 3 million hectares of land, the GINI index number will decline by 0.44. “If possible injection of up to 9 million hectares can be achieved, we can reduce the number by 0.35,” added Yuswanda.

However, the redistribution effort is not easy. This is due to less efforts to optimize agricultural land. Yuswanda said Indonesian lands are treated as if divided between forest and cultivated areas (areas for other use or APL). The forest areas are allocated for about 67%, while APLs are 33%. Of the two lots, approximately 30% of the land in the forest area has not been rehabilitated into forests. While in the APLs, 15% of which is still a forest area.

“It means that we have 15% of forest land that can be converted into fresh land, because it is legalized to be APL,” he said.

This effort requires cooperation among various parties. In the presence of members of HITI, Yuswanda requested to produce a variety of ideas that can address problems in society. In addition, appropriate researches related to public land management are also needed.

“It is the responsibility of soil experts. We cannot turn away from the problems, in the sense that we are great with strength, but only for ourselves that we cannot meet the challenges in the community, “said Yuswanda.

Central and West Java HITI Organizer
The Seminar was officially opened by the Rector, Prof. Tri Hanggono Achmad. In the same occasion, it was also held dissemination of HITI Board of Central and Western Java Chapter for 2015-2019. Faculty of Agriculture Unpad Professor, Anne Nurbaity, PhD, was elected Chairperson of the HITI Commissariat of West Java.

Prof. Budi Mulyanto, Chairperson of HITI Central Office for 2015-2019, said there are several work plans that will be implemented in the future, namely an active role in developing soil science, doing researches related to management of soil sustainability, climate change, conflict resolution, and other aspects related to the land, formulate land management technologies, and participating in formulating development policies.

Anne said that HITI is a strategic professional organization. This organization is a key to opening new department of Soil Science in universities. Until now, it has opened 13 Departments of Soil Science in Indonesia from only 2 Departments.

“We do not just become a professional association; it is also expected that we become a community that can bring benefit for the people,” said Anne. *

Reported by Arief Maulana / eh

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