InfoSAWIT, SEKADAU — The Sekadau administration in West Kalimantan is urging oil palm plantation companies to review and revise their land-use rights, known as Hak Guna Usaha (HGU), to improve legal certainty and reduce the risk of disputes with local communities.
Sekadau Deputy Regent Subandrio said uncertainty surrounding plantation land rights remained a recurring concern among residents. Inadequate clarity over land administration, he warned, could fuel tensions and, in some cases, lead to demonstrations.
He made the remarks while opening a socialization event for the new HGU of PT Agro Andalan at the Sekadau Regency PKK Meeting Hall in Sekadau Hilir on Thursday.
According to InfoSAWIT, citing the Sekadau administration on Saturday, October 24, Subandrio welcomed PT Agro Andalan’s efforts to revise its HGU and explain the changes to communities through subdistrict and village governments.
He encouraged other plantation companies that have yet to update their HGU or plantation business permits to follow suit. Clearer land documentation, he said, would help communities understand company boundaries and distinguish plantation concession areas from land belonging to residents.
Subandrio also identified plasma smallholder schemes, corporate social responsibility programs, employment opportunities and waste management as issues frequently raised by communities around plantations.
Sekadau Has Around 20 Active Plantation Companies
Subandrio said Sekadau had approximately 20 active plantation companies, while about 28% of the regency’s territory was covered by plantation HGU areas.
Data from the Sekadau Food Security, Agriculture and Fisheries Agency, as cited in his remarks, recorded approximately 53,000 hectares of plasma oil palm plantations and 47,000 hectares of independent smallholder plantations.
Given the scale of plantation activity, he stressed the need for more orderly land records and an inventory of community-owned land. Where appropriate, the administration encouraged discussions between residents, village authorities and companies to explore partnership arrangements, including assistance with planting materials.
Subandrio also called on the local land office to clarify the procedures for certifying community land located near or overlapping plantation HGU boundaries, in accordance with applicable regulations.
He emphasized that resolving land issues required coordination among plantation companies, the National Land Agency (BPN), subdistrict officials and village administrations.
The socialization of PT Agro Andalan’s revised HGU is expected to improve transparency and strengthen relations between plantation operators and surrounding communities. (T2)
