Chair of Commission II Strongly Criticizes BPN's Slow Land Permitting: Ministry Process Dragging On!

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Muhammad Rifqinizamy Karsayuda, Chair of Commission II of the House of Representatives, highlighted the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency’s (ATR/BPN) slow approval and permitting process for government strategic programs, ranging from People's Schools, Garuda Schools, Merah Putih Cooperatives, TP Battalions, to Regional Military Command (Kodam) projects.

“Regions are asked to prepare the land, regions find the land, some may need to arrange it because there are areas within forests and so forth, including transmigration zones, but the process at the ATR Ministry drags on endlessly,” Rifqi said during a meeting at the Parliament Complex Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday (15/9/2026).

The Working Meeting (Raker) and Public Hearing (RDPU) were attended by representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of ATR/BPN, and governors from across Indonesia.

Rifqi revealed that this bureaucratic bottleneck had also been voiced as a complaint by the Indonesian National Armed Forces Headquarters (Mabes TNI).

He noted that funding for constructing the Regional Military Command headquarters is already secured, but the project remains stalled solely due to awaiting land approval signatures from the Minister of ATR/BPN.

“I also received this report from the leadership of Mabes TNI, Sir. I have to be frank here. Mabes TNI already has the budget to build Kodam, but the land has yet to be signed off by the Minister of ATR/BPN for allocation. The land is just waiting for the Minister’s approval,” he explained.

In light of this situation, Rifqi urged regulatory simplification.

He insisted that the authority for permits should not be concentrated solely at the central ministry level.

“Deputy Minister, please start today by revising the ATR Minister’s regulations. Leave this kind of approval to the Regional Office; why should it go all the way up to the ministry?” he asserted.