By Jatmiko Surya
The Complete Systematic Land Registration Program (PTSL) is one of the government’s strategic policies aimed at establishing legal certainty over land and strengthening the state’s presence in guaranteeing citizens’ fundamental rights. Through this program, the state does not merely record and issue land certificates, but also provides a sense of security and legal protection for communities regarding the assets they own. In the context of national development and equitable welfare distribution, the existence of land certificates serves as a crucial foundation for improving community welfare and supporting sustainable economic growth.
The Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency, Nusron Wahid, has set an ambitious target: by next year, PTSL will cover 4 million land parcels. This target is not just a figure; it reflects the government’s commitment to accelerating land legalization and advancing agrarian reform progressively. With this step, it is expected that all land parcels in Indonesia will be registered and mapped completely by 2028–2029. The success of this program will be a vital foundation for creating orderly land administration and preventing overlapping land ownership.
Deputy Minister of Agrarian Affairs/Deputy Head of BPN, Ossy Dermawan, also emphasized that PTSL is not merely an administrative project aimed at measuring land parcels and issuing certificates. More than that, PTSL represents the state’s tangible presence in ensuring agrarian justice, strengthening legitimate ownership, and providing peace of mind to communities. Through land legalization under PTSL, people obtain strong legal certainty, protecting them from potential conflicts and criminalization over land they have cultivated for years.
Furthermore, land certificates open up various economic opportunities for the public. Once their land is certified, people can use it as collateral to gain access to financing from banks. Access to capital is especially crucial for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which often face obstacles in expanding their businesses. Thus, land certification not only provides legal security but also becomes a bridge to improving livelihoods and building a better future.
In addition, the acceleration of land legalization through PTSL has a strategic impact on regional development. When areas have clear land maps, local governments can formulate spatial planning policies more accurately. This directly affects regional competitiveness, infrastructure development efficiency, and better spatial management. This program is also an essential part of the national strategy to achieve inclusive and socially just sustainable development.
A concrete example of PTSL’s successful implementation can be seen in Sanggau Regency, West Kalimantan. The Sanggau Land Office has distributed 5,395 land certificates to communities through the PTSL and Land Redistribution programs. Head of the Sanggau Land Office, Chandra Setiawan, stated that this step is part of accelerating land services while providing legal certainty over community land ownership. In addition to strengthening the community’s economic resilience, this program has proven effective in preventing potential agrarian conflicts that often arise due to unclear land ownership status.
As more land parcels become certified, land disputes in society are expected to decline significantly. In a social context, this means greater community stability and harmony. Land conflicts that could potentially emerge due to unclear land status can now be prevented early, as land rights are formally recognized and recorded by the state.
The success of the PTSL program also reflects strong synergy between the central and local governments, involving active community participation. Public awareness in registering their land plays a key role in accelerating PTSL target realization. Therefore, continuous education and outreach are needed to ensure that people understand the importance of land certificates as both legal protection and an economic empowerment tool.
Moreover, PTSL is an integral part of the agrarian reform that has long been a national aspiration. This program promotes equitable land ownership, restructures agrarian systems, and strengthens the position of indigenous communities and vulnerable groups in accessing land rights. Thus, PTSL is not merely a technocratic program but a national movement to fight for agrarian justice throughout the country.
In today’s digital transformation era, PTSL implementation is also being driven toward an information technology-based approach. Digitalizing land data is expected to accelerate services, increase transparency, and minimize illegal fees or bureaucratic deviations. This step aligns with the government’s ongoing bureaucratic reform spirit to create clean, effective, and people-oriented public services.
PTSL is a program with wide-reaching impacts—from legal, social, and economic aspects to regional development. The state acts not only as a regulator but also as an active facilitator guaranteeing the people’s land rights. With the support of all parties and accelerated field implementation, PTSL will become a key milestone in creating a more just, prosperous, and sovereign Indonesia over its own land.
*) The author is a spatial planning analyst.
