Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia’s parliament on September 22 approved a new agrarian reform law aimed at addressing longstanding land conflicts and inequality, including through the establishment of a dedicated body reporting directly to the President.
The law sets priorities for agrarian reform, including addressing disparities in land ownership and control, prolonged land conflicts, abandoned land and poverty, lawmaker Ahmad Iman Sukri said during a plenary session.
The new body will oversee the implementation of agrarian reform and play a role in land-use planning, supervision and conflict resolution. The government will formulate regulations detailing its powers and other aspects of the new framework.
Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Nusron Wahid said the Government will also establish technical rules setting minimum and maximum limits on land ownership and regulating the transfer of state assets.
He said the new legal framework is expected to enable small farmers, agricultural workers, traditional fishermen, indigenous communities and other vulnerable groups to benefit more from a fairer agrarian reform programme.
Indonesia has long faced disputes over land involving overlapping claims to forest areas, state assets and privately held land. Such conflicts can involve local communities, private companies and state-owned enterprises, leading to prolonged legal disputes and disruptions to economic activities.
The legislation is part of President Prabowo Subianto’s efforts to tighten management of the country’s land and natural resources. His administration has stepped up the recovery of land that authorities say has been illegally used, including by mining companies and other businesses./.
