 |
| DPR Questions Post-Disaster Budget in Sumatra, ATR Minister Says Funds Can Be Refocused. |
Jakarta – Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR RI) is putting the spotlight on post-disaster recovery efforts in Sumatra. Members of Commission II are questioning whether the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) has enough budget to handle land issues after recent disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
The issue was raised by Commission II member Mardani Ali Sera during a working meeting and hearing with government partners at the DPR building in Jakarta on Monday, January 19, 2026. His main concern was simple but crucial: is there enough funding at ATR/BPN to help disaster victims, especially for land rights transfers and the splitting or reissuing of land certificates?
“For ATR/BPN, my focus is on the budget,” Mardani said during the meeting. “Please clarify whether there is funding available for handling land ownership transfers, including detailed certificate adjustments for people affected by disasters.”
Mardani stressed that Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra need special attention due to the scale of the damage. He urged the ministry to be transparent if there are any obstacles, particularly when it comes to funding. “Please explain it in detail, Mr. Minister, especially if there are budget constraints,” he added.
Responding to the concern, Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Head of BPN, Nusron Wahid, assured lawmakers that budget limitations would not stand in the way. According to him, the ministry can adjust priorities and shift funds as needed.
“On the cost side, it’s not an issue,” Nusron said confidently. “We can reallocate funds from other budget items and do a refocusing if necessary.”
However, Nusron also pointed out that money is not the only challenge. He explained that land records issued after 1997 are generally well documented and easier to manage. The real difficulty lies with older land certificates or land that has never been officially registered, including customary land and plots based on old legal claims.
“When it comes to disaster-affected land, the biggest challenge is reconstructing the data,” Nusron explained. “Sometimes the documents are gone, the maps are missing, the physical shape of the land has changed, and even the boundary markers have shifted. That’s where it gets really tough.”
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the ATR/BPN. It also brought together several high-level government figures, including Minister for Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Rini Widyantini, Head of the National Civil Service Agency Zudan Arif Fakrulloh, Head of the National Institute of Public Administration Muhammad Taufiq, Vice Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto and Akhmad Wiyagus, as well as Vice Minister for Administrative Reform Purwadi Arianto.
With the assurance that budget refocusing is possible, lawmakers hope post-disaster land recovery efforts in Sumatra can move faster, provide legal certainty, and truly help communities rebuild their lives.