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Regional Administration Development Acting Director General Amran. (ANTARA/HO-Humas Kemendagri)

VOI News, Jakarta: The Indonesian Ministry of Home Affairs is collaborating with several government agencies for the certification of customary lands owned by customary communities across Indonesia.

As reported by Antara News Agency on Saturday (14/9), the agencies working with the ministry include the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.

"By exchanging information and experiences in handling customary land issues, we expect that problems or obstacles in registering customary land can be resolved collaboratively," noted Acting Director General of Regional Administration Development, Amran, in a statement from his office on Saturday. To emphasize the authority of regional governments in determining customary lands, the ministry’s Directorate General of Regional Administration Development held a coordination meeting on Thursday (September 12) to establish a Customary Land Data and Information System.

In addition to sharing experiences, this cooperation aims to ensure that all ministries can align their data on customary land areas owned by customary communities.

Each agency will also synchronize regulations to expedite the completion of customary land certification.

In the statement, Head of the Sub-Directorate of Customary Land and Communal Rights of the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Setyo Anggraini highlighted the myriad benefits that customary communities stand to garner if they certify their customary land. She noted that certification will provide legality for their land, thereby reducing future disputes. Furthermore, it will strengthen the communities' position in the event of any land-related issues arising in the future.

“With this certification, the government believes that the customary communities' rights to land ownership will remain guaranteed, which represents a form of the government's recognition of the existence of customary communities in the country," she pointed out.