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Agrarian Ministry aims to resolve prolonged land disputes
President-elect Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's decision to establish the Agrarian Ministry was aimed at speeding up the land consolidation processes necessary to support his ambitious development programs, his aide said on Tuesday
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resident-elect Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's decision to establish the Agrarian Ministry was aimed at speeding up the land consolidation processes necessary to support his ambitious development programs, his aide said on Tuesday.
"In the past, development programs were frequently hampered by land disputes. Jokowi wants a system that is able to settle this kind of issue more effectively, so he can ensure that his programs can be delivered timely," Andi Widjajanto, a deputy of the Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla transition team, said at the team's headquarters in Central Jakarta.
Jokowi's ambitious programs, such as the development of ports as part of his vision for a maritime axis, would need to procure massive amounts of land, Andi said.
Generally, the ministry would be a strengthened form of the existing National Land Agency (BPN).
"The difference is that the ministry would have a more powerful authority. For example, it would employ a regulatory function the BPN does not have," Andi said.
"About 60 percent of the total legal cases nationwide are related to land disputes. This ministry would help the police and prosecutors settle them and, at the same time, would curb the potential of new disputes," he added.
According to Andi, the ministry would also centralize policies related to spatial planning.
"We will adopt the so-called 'one map policy'. Today, what we have is many ministries and agencies with their own maps and spatial plans that often overlap each other," he said.
Beside the Agrarian Ministry, Jokowi and Kalla have also planned to establish two other new ministries, namely the Population Ministry, which will include the existing National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN), and the Creative Economy Ministry, which is currently included in the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry. (nvn)
