Population Management Draft Bylaw Regulates Access to APBD-Funded Assistance

A draft bylaw on Population Management sets a residency period that newcomers must meet before they can access government assistance funded by the Jakarta City Budget (APBD).

The provision applies only to assistance funded by the Jakarta APBD

The provision is intended to anticipate population movement to Jakarta driven by various government assistance programs and services.

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Jakarta Council Regional Regulation Formation Agency (Bapemperda) Head Abdul Aziz said the residency period requirement will be further regulated through a Gubernatorial Regulation.

"There is already Gubernatorial Regulation No. 20/2026 in place. According to the Legal Bureau, the required period is five years. This means people moving to Jakarta from other areas can only access APBD-funded government assistance after living in Jakarta for five years," Aziz said on Thursday (10/1).

He stressed that the provision applies only to assistance funded by the Jakarta APBD. Newcomers can still access government programs funded by the national budget (APBN). The regulation is also intended to prevent people from moving to the capital solely because of the availability of local government assistance.

Aziz explained that the Population Management Draft Bylaw was previously known as the Population Control Draft Bylaw. The change in nomenclature was made because Jakarta's population issues require a broader approach, ranging from more balanced population distribution to meeting basic service needs in densely populated areas.

One of the basic service needs being addressed is the provision of cemetery land. According to data received by Bapemperda, around 40,000 people die in Jakarta each year. With approximately two square meters of land needed per burial, Jakarta requires around eight hectares of cemetery land annually.

To meet this need, Bapemperda is encouraging cooperation with surrounding areas. Aziz said provisions on cooperation to meet basic service needs, including the provision of cemetery areas, have been included in the draft regulation.

"The regulation already contains a provision for cooperation with surrounding areas. So I don't think there should be any more problems, as long as there is an agreement with the surrounding areas on which locations will be used," he noted.

Aziz added that cemetery areas could also serve as green open spaces (RTH), supporting greening efforts while helping reduce pollution in surrounding areas.

"So they would serve not only as cemeteries, but also as sources of oxygen," he said.