Indonesia eases land certificate rules for housing aid and property transfers

The Indonesian government is implementing new measures to streamline housing assistance and land rights transfers. Under the updated rules for the Self-Help Housing Stimulant Assistance (BSPS) program, land certificates are no longer a mandatory requirement for residents who have occupied uninhabitable homes for long periods. To facilitate this, local government officials, such as village or hamlet heads, can provide documentation to verify long-term residency.

Additionally, the Ministry of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning and the Ministry of Home Affairs have signed a Joint Circular Letter (SEB) to accelerate the verification and validation of Land and Building Acquisition Duty (BPHTB) payments. The new policy sets a maximum three-day limit for local governments to validate these payments, utilizing a ‘positive fictitious’ approach where silence after three days constitutes approval. This initiative aims to reduce the total time for property rights transfers to a maximum of 10 days.