March 2025
The legal status of Girik and other customary land titles in Indonesia will change after February 2, 2026, when these titles will no longer be recognized as valid evidence of land ownership. Landowners are encouraged to register their customary land titles through the Complete Systematic Land Registration (Pendaftaran Tanah Sistematis Lengkap or "PTSL") program before the end of this year.
Since 2017, the Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency ("MOASP") has implemented the PTSL program to provide legal certainty for land ownership in Indonesia. PTSL is the first land registration activity carried out simultaneously for all land registration objects throughout the territory of Indonesia. Provisions related to PTSL are currently governed by MOASP Regulation No. 6 of 2018 on Complete Systematic Land Registration ("MOASP Reg 6/2018".)
Socialization related to PTSL has been carried out since 2021 by the land office in each region. The socialization is provided by each local land office to the local community. After the socialization, it is hoped that people who own Girik land or any other form of customary land will register their land rights through PTSL.
Since October 2024, 79 cities and regencies have declared their land to be fully recorded and registered. A city or district whose land has been declared complete and registered is known as a 'Complete City' or Kota Lengkap.
To strengthen the implementation of PTSL, MOASP issued Regulation No. 16 of 2021 on the Third Amendment to MOASP Regulation No. 3 of 1997 on Provisions for the Implementation of Government Regulation Number 24 of 1997 on Land Registration (MOASP Regulation 16/2021). Article 76A (1) of MOASP Regulation 16/2021 provides that written evidence of former customary land owned by individuals in the form of Petuk Pajak Bumi/Landrente, girik, pipil, kekitir, Verponding Indonesia and other evidence of former customary property rights with other names or terms will be declared invalid five years after Government Regulation No. 18 of 2021 on Management Rights, Land Rights, Flat Units, and Land Registration ("GR 18/2021") comes into force on 2 February 2021. This means that after 2 February 2026, all former customary property rights evidence, including Girik, will no longer be valid.