Law Minister officiates legal aid posts in all villages in South Kalimantan

Banjarbaru (ANTARA) - Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas inaugurated the establishment of legal aid posts (posbankum) in all villages and urban villages in South Kalimantan Province, totaling 2,015.

"We appreciate Governor of South Kalimantan H. Muhidin, regents and mayors for the synergy they have built in providing 100 percent posbankum," he remarked here on Friday.

Although the establishment of posbankum was initiated by the Ministry of Law, he stated that its success is largely determined by synergy across ministries and institutions, as well as the active support of local governments.

At the event held at KH Idham Chalid auditorium in Banjarbaru, the minister emphasized that posbankum is a strategic instrument for achieving faster, simple and low-cost justice, in line with Presiden Prabowo Subianto's Astacita.

This also encourages peaceful dispute resolution within the community outside the courts.

The Minister cited the success of posbankum in resolving a 40-year family dispute in Lampung Province as an example.

“Posbankum in East Java successfully mediated residents' dispute in a worship construction without violence and resulting in a peaceful solution,” he said.

Nationally, 82,560 village and urban village legal aid posts have been established representing 98.36 percent of a total 83,946 villages and urban villages in Indonesia, with 31 provinces achieving 100 percent coverage.

Law Minister reminded that posbankum must be managed accountably and data-driven through reporting app prevared by the National Legal Development Agency (BPHN).

Based on the data, the most common problems handled by posbankum include land disputes, public order disturbances, minor assaults, theft, debts, domestic violence, inheritance, contracts, and child issues.

"Hopefully, the presence of posbankum in villages and urban villages in South Kalimantan will provide real benefits to the community," he said.

Deputy Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions, Ahmad Riza Patria, stated his ministry's commitment to developing posbankum, which he said has a strategic position in building a healthy village legal ecosystem, where problems are resolved through deliberation and conflicts can be prevented early.

Meanwhile, Deputy Governor of South Kalimantan, Hasnuryadi Sulaiman, said that South Kalimantan's diverse geography presents challenges in equalizing access to justice.

The presence of posbankum in 2,015 villages and urban villages across the province, he said, will expand access to justice to the lowest levels of society through synergy between stakeholders.

Head of the South Kalimantan Regional Office of the Ministry of Law, Alex Cosmas Pinem, stated that the strengthening of posbankum in South Kalimantan continues through capacity building of village and urban village officials.