Mentrans Iftitah Invites Transmigrants to Use Certified Land Productively

JAKARTA - Minister of Transmigration (Mentrans) M Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara appealed that transmigrant people who have land with a certificate of ownership (SHM) can use the land productively.

According to him, this step can prevent land conflicts from occurring, as happened in Bekambit Village, Kotabaru Regency, South Kalimantan Province (Kalsel).

"If, for example, the land is currently abandoned today, please report to BPN," said Iftitah in a press conference at his office, Wednesday, February 11.

With the report of unproductive land, said Iftitah, BPN will not unilaterally cancel it even though there is a proposal from the village head to maximize the land.

The Democratic Party politician assessed that many similar problems occurred in a number of regions, when the land was abandoned years ago, it became a problem when it was going to be managed again.

"The bad side is that investors may be reluctant to invest because there is no legal certainty over the land. Then on the other hand, the people are also sacrificed," he said.

In addition, Iftitah emphasized the importance of using land productively so that the transmigration program can develop.

Iftitah assessed that this was the main focus of his party because it was able to encourage inclusive economic growth, opening more jobs, especially for local people.

He added that development must also be equitable, not only providing jobs, but also decent and sustainable income.

Regarding the land conflict owned by transmigrants in Kotabaru, South Kalimantan, the Ministry of Transmigration agreed with the Ministry of ATR/BPN to revoke the cancellation of land certificates owned by former transmigrants.

The reason is that the community has occupied the area since 1986 and 1989 and has had ownership certificates since 1990.

The question arose in 2010, when the Kotabaru Regency Government issued a coal mining business permit covering 8,139 hectares (ha) to PT SSC.

The company then carried out mining activities on land that was considered partially abandoned by transmigrants or unproductive.

On July 1, 2019, the BPN Regional Office of South Kalimantan Province canceled the ownership certificate of 276 plots of land in the Bekambit Asri Village transmigration.

This was done because PT SSC claimed to have purchased the land and had handed it over to BPN, which then partially issued a use right certificate in the name of PT SSC.

Then, on November 1, 2019, the South Kalimantan BPN Regional Office again canceled 441 areas that had not been released by residents to PT SSC.

The cancellation was based on the company's mining business permit (IUP) and a land certificate (SKT) from the local village head stating that the company owned the physical land.

Therefore, PT SSC then applied for a certificate of right of use (SHP) on behalf of the company.

"After the two of us listened to the explanation from one of the directors general (director general) at the Ministry of ATR/BPN, the two of us agreed that this was in the quotation mark of maladministration. In the issuance of the SK cancellation of the SHM," he explained.