Rice Field Molding Program Involving National Ground Force Army (TNI AD) Fails: An Observer's View

Wednesday, October 27th, 2021 | 11:36 WIB
By : Yudo Dahono / YUD

Jakarta, Beritasatu.com - Coordinator of the Center for Budget Analysis (CBA) Jajang Nurjaman said, there are several things the Rice Fields Molding Program carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) involving The National Ground Force Army (TNI AD), through the Kodam and its staff, in the end failed or did not work. Because basically TNI AD soldiers are prepared to fight and enter the military, not because they want to farm. aside from that feasibilty study which is not deep and immeasurable when it is about to start the program.

"Because (farming) is not part of it. Besides that, it seems that there is no such kind of guidance and counseling as a provision for the Army who is involved in the Program," said Jajang through a statement, Wednesday (27/10/2021).

Jajang assessed that the government in carrying out the food barn program still had many weaknesses. For example, the Strategic Environmental Assessment, which should serve as a basic reference for the preparation of policy plans, in practice only becomes a means of strengthening land clearing. As happened in Gunung Mas, Central Borneo for cassava commodities, 700 hectares were cleared without any environmental impact analysis (Amdal).

"In addition to the involvement of the Indonesian Army, which basically does not understand agriculture, this program is becoming increasingly misguided," he said.

Jajang also said that the government seemed unwilling to learn from previous mistakes, for example in the rice field printing program which also involved the military. Because it is not his field, resulting in 17 findings and 21 problems, this resulted in country's loss of billions of IDR.

"Regarding the food barn program, we ask the President Joko Widodo to immediately re-evaluate, especially military involvement," he stressed.

Jajang explained that the government should base the objectives of the food barn program as formulated, namely to overcome the impact of the food crisis thanks to Covid-19, about climate change, and dependence on imports. There is a disconnect between the goals and the practice of running the program, so they are misunderstood.

"What is happening right now is by ignoring the EIA problem, it actually worsens the prevention of climate change," he explained.

Finally, continued Jajang, the civilians should be fully involved “the professionals and others, especially the farmers. Furthermore, the question of agricultural land that must be done is to help farmers who have problems with the means of production and solve the problem of land inequality, not even expand the land with the military.

In an online discussion with the theme "The Role of the Military in the Food Estate Project," last Wednesday (13/10/2021), Imparsial's Director, Gufron Mabruri reminded the government to reconsider the involvement of the Ground Force Army in the food estate project. food estateHe said the government should learn from the rice field printing program several years ago. In the program, the Indonesian Army is also involved.

However, the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) found various problems in the rice field printing program. “The government should learn in the program (printing rice fields with) military involvement. There are 17 BPK findings that contain 21 problems. The findings are for example the area of ​​rice fields that are not in accordance with the provisions, and there are billions of losses. This should be an evaluation material,” said Gufron.

He said, at certain limits the involvement of the military was needed to overcome the escalation of threats. However, military involvement must fulfill a number of things. There are at least six elements, namely emergency situations or objective conditions. However, under normal conditions, civilians should be in full control.

Another element is the request of civil institutions. This is to ensure that the situation is beyond the capacity of civil institutions to handle it. Based on the political decisions of civil authorities, so that there is legitimacy.

“This is a form of civilian control over the military. To ensure accountability to the public. It should be temporary, it cannot be permanent, proportional means that the deployment of the military must be in accordance with the level of threat," he said.

He said, now the question is, what is the urgency and legitimacy of involving the military in the food granary program planned by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) since 2020.

"Indeed, since the beginning, the food barn program has generated a lot of criticism, especially from civil society at the national and regional levels," he said.