Presidential Staff Office Says Job Creation Law Protects Indigenous People

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Deputy II key expert Usep Setiawan highlighted that Law Number 11 of 2020 on Job Creation offered opportunities for the public to manage forests and protect indigenous people.

Setiawan noted that the affirmation was stipulated in several articles related to the forestry sector, while citing the example of many articles that were partial to social forestry.

"There are articles that regulate the use of protected forests and production forests through the Social Forestry Program. This program can be offered to individuals, forest farmer groups, and cooperatives," Setiawan noted in a statement, in Jakarta, Saturday.

According to Setiawan, the regulation is in paragraph 4, related to the article regulating forestry. He pointed out that between Article 29 and Article 30 of the Forestry Law, two new articles were introduced, specifically Article 29A and Article 29B, one of which regulates the strengthening of social forestry.

Setiawan believes that the arrangement will strengthen the government's efforts in offering public access to forest area management.

"Hence, later, there will be positive impacts in the form of expanding employment, reducing poverty, and improving the welfare of people around the forest," Setiawan remarked.

This agrarian reform activist affirmed that the social forestry program had grown stronger since the enactment of the Job Creation Law.

Moreover, he pointed to the government of President Joko Widodo having handed over 4.2 million hectares of land to be managed by the community.

"Furthermore, the most important aspect is the matter of further program assistance, so that the community around the forest has the ability to manage the bestowed authority, such as the social forestry business. In this case it is not only agroforestry," Setiawan explained.

Setiawan noted that the Job Creation Law was also pro people and protected indigenous communities, especially those residing in forest and garden areas.

He stated that in the Job Creation Law, customary communities will be included in policies on forest area management and conservation to Land for Agrarian Reform Objects (TORA).

"It is clear that with this law, the government has sided with the people. This Job Creation Law emphasizes the government's side of the community with restorative justice or legal settlement outside the court," he remarked.

The Job Creation Law also regulates forest environmental issues divided into two parts, comprising the environmental approval part that is a basic requisite for business licensing.

Meanwhile, the next section is part of business licensing and ease of investment requirements from the forestry sector.

Setiawan explained that the two arose from three different laws: Law Number 32 of 2009 on Protection and Management of the Environment, Law Number 41 of 1999 on Forestry, and Law Number 18 of 2013 on the Prevention and Eradication of Forest Destruction.

"This amalgamation will make the rules easier to understand and will not be causal to any problems for the indigenous people and communities around the forest," Setiawan emphasized.

Also Read: Legislation Body Admits to Making Typing Error in Job Creation Law

ANTARA