JAKARTA – The Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT), Yandri Susanto, accompanied by Deputy Minister Ahmad Riza Patria, attended a working meeting (Rapat Kerja) with the Legislation Committee of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (Baleg DPR RI) at the DPR RI Building in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday (September 7, 2026).

The working meeting was convened to gather perspectives and input from relevant stakeholders for the drafting of the Agrarian Reform Bill (RUU Pengaturan Reforma Agraria).

During the session, Minister Yandri reported data compiled in coordination with the Ministry of Forestry, the Geospatial Information Authority (BIG), and the Ministry of Home Affairs, revealing a total of 35,974 designated forest zones—encompassing conservation forests, protection forests, and production forests. According to forest designation maps, 34,323 villages overlap with these zones, representing an estimated population of 72.28 million residents.

Minister Yandri clarified that the official classification of being "within forest zones" does not distinguish between villages located deep inside forest boundaries and those directly adjacent to them. Crucially, he emphasized that these rural residents are documented citizens holding national identity cards (KTP), voting in public elections, paying taxes, and cultivating land across generations to produce agricultural commodities.

"The Agrarian Reform Bill addresses far more than land titles; it safeguards village administration continuity, public service delivery, living space, and community livelihoods. Consider that out of Indonesia's 75,266 villages, 34,323 overlap with forest zones—nearly half of all villages nationwide," Minister Yandri stated.

"Yet, residents in these forest areas continue to face land tenure insecurity, with many frequently entangled in legal disputes with law enforcement agencies," Minister Yandri added.

Consequently, during the drafting session for the Agrarian Reform Bill, Minister Yandri submitted five key strategic recommendations for inclusion:

1. Post-Redistribution Action Plans: Land redistribution must be accompanied by comprehensive post-redistribution action plans. These plans must systematically connect beneficiaries with capital, technology, technical assistance, agricultural inputs, economic institutions, and market access.

2. Transfer Restrictions and Timelines: The bill should establish protection periods along with strict conditions governing the transfer of ownership, control, and utilization of redistributed land. Exemptions should be limited to inheritance or approved special purposes, subject to verification to prevent land re-concentration.

3. Spatial Planning and Sustainability: Mandatory land-use changes must strictly align with spatial planning blueprints while safeguarding production sustainability and beneficiary livelihoods. The law should incorporate corrective mechanisms and sanctions to preserve redistribution benefits.

4. Village Governance and Conflict Resolution: The bill must assign explicit authorities to village governments to receive grievances, verify field facts, facilitate mapping, and mediate local conflicts. The involvement of customary institutions (Lembaga Adat) must be mandated, particularly regarding customary land rights (Hak Ulayat), ancestral territories, and customary law. Furthermore, village governments should be mandated to conduct integrated inventories of settlements, public facilities, village assets, livelihood areas, ancestral domains, business activities, and ecologically sensitive sites.

5. Forest Land Release Procedures: The legislation must establish clear requirements and procedures for requesting land release from designated forest zones or concessions currently utilized by communities and village administrations. Long-standing settlements, public and social infrastructure, and village assets must receive top priority. Procedures must remain transparent, evidence-based, and bound by strict resolution deadlines.

Accompanying Minister Yandri during the working meeting were Secretary-General Taufik Madjid, Director General of PEID Tabrani, and Head of BPI Mulyadin Malik.

Photo: Didi/Kemendes PDT 
Text: Rifqi/Kemendes PDT