I

n a bid to boost the government’s land reform program, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo will soon issue a presidential regulation (Perpres) on agrarian reform as a final measure in one of his flagship programs before the presidential election next year.

The regulation, the draft of which is being handled by the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister, will focus on detailing the land conflict settlement mechanism as well as land redistribution and certification for farmers, the key programs of agrarian reform that are part of Jokowi’s nine-point development program known as Nawa Cita.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the National Meeting on Agrarian Reform and Social Forestry for Social Justice and the 2018 Global Land Forum on Thursday, Jokowi said as of Thursday morning the draft had yet to be submitted to him.

“I have told the Coordinating Economic Minister [Darmin Nasution] that the draft [of the Perpres] must be finished by next week. I will continue to follow up on the matter until I receive [the draft] on my desk,” Jokowi told the ceremony’s attendees at the State Palace.

At the occasion, Jokowi, in a symbolic ceremony, announced 16 decrees declaring 6,032 hectares of forest in several provinces as customary forests, including Rimbo Buli customary forest in Jambi regency and Leuweng Gede customary forest in West Java.

The President also handed over 52,980 land redistribution certificates under the land objects for agrarian reform (TORA) system covering 39,703 ha, including in Sanggau Regency in West Sumatra, Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko said.

Jokowi is expected to redistribute 9 million ha of land under the TORA system, as well as 12.7 million ha to be managed by communities through social forestry schemes. Introduced in 2016, the policy has been touted as the key to improving welfare and reducing economic disparities.

The President is coming to the end of his term and is set to start campaigning for reelection.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya said as of Sept. 12 her office distributed certificates covering 1.9 million ha to 488,000 families. She targeted that by the end of 2019, 4.3 million ha will be redistributed.

Critics, however, have said issuing certificates is not enough, as the government must issue clear regulations that address land disputes, including between businesses and farmers or indigenous people.

The Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) has recorded at least 659 land disputes covering over 520,000 ha in 2017, with 208 agrarian conflicts involving plantations, 199 in property and 94 in farming.

“There are millions of farmers, indigenous people and fishermen who are entangled in agrarian conflict,” KPA secretary general Dewi Kartika said. “We are waiting for Pak President to sign the Perpres on agrarian reform.”

The Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister’s undersecretary for forestry management Prabianto Mukti Wibowo said the presidential regulation will include a number of articles on the land dispute settlement
mechanism.

Agrarian reform task forces at the local level will handle a conflict before it is taken to the central government and settled in a meeting led by the ministry.

The regulation will also strengthen the social forestry scheme where farmers who receive land, which would be utilized under a cluster, will receive assistance from the government on planting certain commodities.

“The Perpres will have provisions on economic empowerment, including parties who will facilitate communities in doing business,” Prabianto said.