BALINEWSID.COM, DENPASAR — The Regional Office of the National Land Agency (BPN) of Bali has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding spatial sovereignty and food security by tightening controls on the conversion of rice fields, following the issuance of Presidential Regulation No. 4 of 2026.

Head of the BPN Bali Regional Office stated that the government is now taking a stronger role in curbing the conversion of productive agricultural land, which is increasingly under pressure from high investment flows in Bali.

“Through this policy, we ensure that productive land is not easily converted. This is crucial to maintaining agricultural sustainability and securing Bali’s food future,” he said on Saturday (April 9, 2026).

Under the regulation, the government has set a strategic target that 87 percent of the total Rice Field Base Area (LBS) must be designated as Sustainable Food Agricultural Land (LP2B) by 2029.

Until the target is achieved in a given region, the conversion of rice fields into non-agricultural uses will be strictly prohibited, except for National Strategic Projects (PSN). The policy has been described as a form of “land lockdown” aimed at protecting productive space from development pressures.

In addition, BPN is transforming its spatial governance oversight by strengthening the enforcement of Spatial Utilization Conformity (KKPR). Previously focused on licensing processes, the agency is now shifting toward stricter compliance monitoring.

“BPN is no longer merely involved in issuing permits. We now ensure that land use complies with regulations through monitoring, evaluation, and firm action against violations,” he explained.

In practice, supervision includes verification of land-use conformity, area limitations, and analysis of discrepancies, which serve as the basis for administrative or legal actions.

BPN has also reinforced its role through Technical Land Consideration (PTP), functioning as a filter for investments, including foreign direct investment. Through a digital system, each application is verified to ensure compliance with zoning regulations and the protection targets for rice fields.

If a PTP assessment concludes that a proposal is “non-compliant,” it will serve as the basis for local governments to reject the permit.

In terms of law enforcement, BPN is working in synergy with cross-sectoral institutions in accordance with Regional Regulation No. 4 of 2026. Enforcement measures range from investigations by civil servant investigators (PPNS), execution by municipal police (Satpol PP), to the imposition of administrative sanctions.

Sanctions include the cancellation of problematic land certificates, the granting of time-limited land rights, and the designation of abandoned land for plots not utilized according to their intended purpose.

The Head of BPN Bali emphasized that the institution’s role has evolved beyond land registration to becoming an active supervisor of spatial planning.

“Every parcel of land that is certified must ensure not only legal certainty but also ecological certainty. We are committed to ensuring that development does not come at the expense of Bali’s food security and environment,” he concluded.