Jokowi arrived at the venue for the certificate distribution in the soccer field of Kampuse in Tangerang Selatan on Wednesday at around 11:55 p.m. local time.
A total of 10,100 land certificates were distributed to 5,100 residents of the Tangerang Selatan City, three thousand residents of Tangerang District, and two thousand residents of Tangerang City.
"After receiving the certificate, please keep it well and cover it with plastic to avoid damage. Hence, a photocopy of the certificate has also been provided, so in case the original certificate is lost, its copy can be used instead," he stated.
According to Jokowi, over the past decades, land disputes have continued to arise in some parts of Indonesia.
Responding to the issue, the government has taken steps to address it by targeting the distribution of five million new land certificates in 2017, seven million in 2018, and nine million in 2019.
He said the certificate could be used as collateral to obtain productive business capital.
"It is okay to use this certificate as collateral," he stated.
Jokowi urged the public to use and calculate carefully if the community wanted to use a land certificate as collateral to obtain business capital.
"If you want to buy a car, you should use the saved profits. If you earn a profit of Rp10 million this month, then save the money. Next month, if you get a profit of Rp15 million or Rp5 million, then save it. Thereafter, you could use the saved profits to buy a car worth Rp150 million, for instance. However, do not buy a car by utilizing loan money from banks, as you could lose your certificate," he explained.
During the event, Jokowi also highlighted the importance of maintaining unity in Indonesia.
He emphasized that society should not be divided merely due to differences in political choices in the elections of regional heads, governors, and president.
"The choices of mayor, district head, governor, and the president are only for a five-year contestation. Do not sacrifice our unity because of differences in choices. We must dare to say it," he said.
According to Agriculture and Spatial Minister Sofyan Djalil, Banten Province has as many as 3.4 million plots of land.
A total of 1.8 million plots of land in Banten Province have been certified. Meanwhile, the local government of Tangerang, along with the National Land Agency, will issue land certificates for 600 thousand plots of land by 2018.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
