A member of the Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives called for greater public awareness about the practice of foreigners borrowing a local’s name, also known as ‘nominee practices’.
In a decisive call for reform, Bagus Adhi Mahendra Putra, a member of Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Republik Indonesia or DPR RI), had recently voiced a strong appeal to the public to end the prevalent ‘nominee practices’ in Indonesia. Particularly spotlighting the province of Bali, Putra emphasised the legal risks associated with such practices, where foreign nationals exploit Indonesian names to establish businesses, and advocated for a shift towards greater national ownership and compliance with local regulations.
The so-called ‘nominee practices’ typically involve an agreement in which a foreign national borrows the name of an Indonesian citizen so that the former could own land and establish a business in Indonesia. This practice has been prevalent, especially in the Province of Bali.
Putra strongly encouraged all Indonesians, particularly those in Bali, to be the masters of their own country.
“I urge the people of Bali, in particular, to stop being nominees. Be masters in your own home. In the future, there should be no more legal violations regarding land ownership; the ‘nominee practices’ must no longer be carried out in this country,” asserted Putra during a work visit by the Commission II of the DPR RI to Denpasar, Bali, on Thursday, the 18th of July.
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The politician from the Golkar Party also encouraged the National Land Agency (Badan Pertanahan Nasional or BPN) to continue the latter’s efforts to educate the public on the legal consequences that can arise from the ‘nominee practices’, particularly in Bali.
“The outreach made by BPN has been implemented and is good, but it needs to be increased and further enhanced. Why? Because many people still do not fully understand our objective in eradicating the ‘nominee practices’ in this country,” continued Putra.
By asking BPN to improve its educational efforts, Putra also hoped that the native Indonesians would understand and follow the laws better. This way, the future generations of Indonesians, especially in Bali, can manage land ownership confidently and legally.
“Since the ‘nominee practices’ have been happening for decades, it requires greater effort and hard work from BPN to socialise the importance of not having any legal violations concerning land ownership,” concluded Putra.