Indonesia blindsided by Nusantara’s 190-year land right law nullified in court
The ruling has compounded the challenges in completing the planned new capital, including lukewarm interest from investors
The court’s decision nullified a decree issued in 2024 during Widodo’s administration that granted investors unusually long tenures: up to 190 years for land cultivation rights and 160 years for building and usage rights.
It ruled that these privileges were unconstitutional, ordering that Nusantara adhere to national regulations limiting cultivation rights to a maximum of 95 years – comprising a 35-year grant, a 25-year extension and a 35-year renewal – and building and usage rights to 80 years.
“This special regulation … regarding the period of land rights is only applicable in Nusantara,” Judge Guntur Hamzah said on November 13. “[It is] an effort to attract investors … the court can understand the government’s efforts; however, special regulations must not conflict with the principles stipulated in the constitution.”
The petition was filed by Stepanus Febyan Babaro, a representative of the Dayak indigenous community in East Kalimantan, and Ronggo Warsito, a resident granted only 10 years’ use of land – far shorter than the 80-year rights promised to other investors in Nusantara.