Government Instructs Residents Who Own Land In New State Capital To Submit Claims

Deputy II Chief of Presidential Staff of the Republic of Indonesia Abetnego Tarigan/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - The Presidential Staff Office stated that all parties who feel they own land in the territory of the National Capital City (IKN) of the Archipelago can file a claim.

Deputy II of the Indonesian Presidential Chief of Staff, Abetnego Tarigan, said that the claim could be submitted to the team formed by the Governor of East Kalimantan, namely the East Kalimantan Regional Office for the National Land Agency (BPN) and the Balikpapan Land Office.

"Those who have information and data regarding indications of indigenous peoples' ownership or other indications of conflict can submit to the team formed by the governor, to be part of the review in the ongoing work process," Abetnego said in a press release in Jakarta, Monday, March 21.

He said this mechanism was regulated in the East Kalimantan Governor Regulation No. 6/2020 on controlling the transfer of land use and permits in the area of ​​the candidate for the State Capital and buffer zones.

For information, there are several categories of locations that will be used for IKN development. The location category consists of the core zone and development zones, namely, the Central Government Core Area covering an area of ​​6,671 hectares, the IKN area 56,180 hectares, and the IKN Land Area 256,142 hectares.

Abetnego ensured that there was no land tenure in the Central Government Core Area zone, because it was a fresh forest area.

As for the development zone, he said, there are indications of existing controls, either by the community, companies, institutions, or other related parties.

"The area is currently being inventory and verified by the East Kalimantan BPN Regional Office and the Balikpapan Land Office," he explained.

He added that currently, the team is also handling several claims, both those coming from indigenous peoples, such as the heirs of the Kutai Sultanate, as well as claims from 14 farmer groups at the IKN location.

He also said that the government is currently drafting implementing regulations for the IKN Law. One of them, he said, was the Draft Presidential Regulation on the acquisition, control, ownership, use and utilization of land, as well as restrictions on the transfer of land rights in the Indonesian capital.

"The regulation will regulate, control, and anticipate existing land problems," explained Abetnego.