Indonesian Land Certificate System Faces Duplication Challenges

Historical Land Certificates at Core of Issue

The Indonesian Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN) has identified that the primary cause of duplicate land certificates lies in the legacy system of older land certificates. According to Minister Nusron Wahid, these older certificates, which predate the modern digital database system, are the main source of the duplication problem.

Technical and Infrastructure Limitations

The duplication issue arises because historical land data hasn't been fully migrated to the digital system. As a result, when new certificate applications are processed, the system may not detect existing certificates, particularly if they were issued under the older, manual system. The minister emphasized that during the time these older certificates were issued, the infrastructure, regulations, and technology were not as advanced as they are today.

Key Factors Contributing to Duplication

1. Lack of Digital Records: Older land certificates were not properly digitized and recorded in a centralized database.
2. Insufficient Neighbor Notification: When new certificates were issued, neighboring landowners were not always notified, leading to potential overlaps.
3. Limited Technology: The technology available at the time was not capable of preventing or detecting duplicate certificates effectively.
4. Poor Record Keeping: Historical records were often incomplete or not properly maintained, making it difficult to verify land ownership.

Path Forward

The ATR/BPN is working to address these issues through ongoing digitalization efforts. By gradually integrating older land records into the modern database system, the ministry aims to reduce the incidence of duplicate certificates and improve the overall integrity of land ownership records in Indonesia.