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Govt goes extra mile to accelerate land distribution
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Upbeat: North Sumatra Governor T. Erry Nuradi (left) welcomes President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo during his work visit to the province. (JP/Apriadi Gunawan)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said on Saturday that the government was preparing measures to accelerate land distribution to ensure the success of its agrarian reform agenda.
During his visit to Mandailing Natal, North Sumatra, Jokowi said the government was targeting to distribute 5 million hectares this year and 7 million ha next year.
“Our target for this year is certification of 5 million hectares across Indonesia,” Jokowi said, adding that the government usually only issues certification for 500,000 to 700,000 ha per year.
(Read also: Who will benefit from Jokowi's land reform?)
He added that the lack of surveyors was the main obstacle hampering the distribution of land certificates, which he said should be resolved through outsourcing.
The government has been pushing to increase land distribution, which has become a priority component of the agrarian reform program that aims to close income inequality in the country.
Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil explained that the basic problem in land certification lies in the inability of citizens to pay the building and land acquisition tax (BPTHB).
He said several regions had freed citizens from paying the tax or given a tax cut of up to 70 percent to solve the problem. (rdi/wit)
