Indonesia Redefines Transmigration as Economic Growth Driver

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian government is moving away from the decades-old model of simple land distribution, pivoting toward a strategic transformation that treats transmigration zones as integrated economic ecosystems.

Minister of Transmigration, Muhammad Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara, announced on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, that the ministry is mapping the economic potential of transmigration regions to ensure they become productive growth centers rather than abandoned settlements. He explained that the paradigm shift is designed to strengthen sustainable economic activities and create jobs for local communities.

“To create a new economic ecosystem that is inclusive, fair, and sustainable, last year we sent more than 2,000 researchers to 154 transmigration areas so they could identify the economic potential there. This is what we are now developing,” Iftitah said at a press conference in Jakarta, as quoted by Antara.

The mapping exerciseconducted throughout 2025 identified opportunities beyond traditional farming, including plantations, animal husbandry, fisheries, marine resources, and tourism. In several locations, such as West Aceh, East Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan, researchers also identified untapped mineral resources.

Minister Iftitah noted that rising population density and limited land availability make land distribution alone no longer a viable solution. Instead, the government is focusing on building inclusive and sustainable economic ecosystems. In some areas where new models have been implemented, land valuations have increased sharply, reaching up to IDR 1 million per square meter.

The ministry has also prioritized infrastructure improvements to support community welfare. In 2025, it built 454 toilets and renovated more than 500 schools in transmigration zones.

Minister Iftitah described the conditions before the renovations as “heartbreaking,” noting that some schools wereforced to share a single broken toilet among more than 120 students. The improvements are intended to strengthen sanitation and education services for transmigrant families.

Alongside physical infrastructure, the ministry is implementing legal and administrative reforms through the “Trans Tuntas” program to secure land ownership rights and enhance economic value. It is also preparing the “Trans Patriot” initiative, which will deploy educated youth to priority areas such as Rempang in Riau Islands, Mamuju in West Sulawesi, and Merauke in South Papua to accelerate regional progress.

President Prabowo Subianto has directed the ministry to use transmigration as a tool to reduce poverty in Papua by empowering local communities.

The ministry’s 2026 budget totals IDR 1.9 trillion (around USD 113 million), with IDR 564 billion allocated to management support and IDR 1.3 trillion to technical programs to strengthen sustainable development in transmigration regions. To complement state funding, the government is seeking private investment and industrial partnerships to ensure these new economic hubs remain self-sustaining and competitive. ***