Bantul Village Head Explains Rp300,000 ‘Development Contribution’ Charge

Residents in Bantul took to social media after Padukuhan Jambean, in Triwidadi Village, Pajangan, charged them Rp300,000 while they were applying for a certificate of residence. The village head has explained the charge, which has been described as a “development contribution”.

“It was not actually a levy related to an application for a residence certificate. It was an agreement reached between the Jambean community and housing residents to contribute Rp300,000 towards development in the area,” Triwidadi village head Slamet Riyanto told reporters at the Triwidadi Village Office in Pajangan, Bantul, on Monday (12 October 2026).

Slamet said the charge had been agreed at hamlet level and showed reporters the agreement document.

The letter, bearing Padukuhan Jambean’s letterhead, is dated 14 May 2024. It states that contributions are requested from people who intend to live or settle in the hamlet.

The document sets out two contribution amounts. Under point A, residents in the housing area are asked to pay Rp300,000 to the hamlet.

Under point B, residents in the RT area are asked to pay Rp500,000 to the RT and Rp500,000 to the hamlet. The charges apply to people buying land or intending to settle in Padukuhan Jambean.

Slamet stressed that the contribution was not connected to the residence certificate. He said the complainant had not paid, but the application for the certificate was still processed.

“The person concerned has not paid the Rp300,000. Other residents have paid. We have also issued the residence certificate, and it was free,” he said.

Slamet added that the Rp300,000 contribution was intended to fund activities in the hamlet, including activities across Jambean’s seven RTs, 17 August celebrations, the integrated health post (Posyandu) and the youth organisation (Karang Taruna).

“To reassure people, when I summoned [the hamlet head] yesterday, I asked whether any of the money had gone to an individual. The answer was no. So it is entirely for community activities and for contributing to physical and non-physical development in the area,” he said.

Slamet has also asked the Jambean hamlet head to provide transaction records as a transparency measure.

“I have also asked the hamlet head for administrative documents, and they have just requested the financial transaction records from the treasurer,” he said.

Reported to the Inspectorate

Slamet said the issue arose in July and that the complainant had reported it to the Bantul Inspectorate.

“The issue dates back to July, and the village was notified in August 2026. I received confirmation from Bantul Police and the Bantul Inspectorate. The Inspectorate has been investigating, and it has now provided guidance, so the matter is still being processed,” he said.

Slamet said he could not yet confirm whether the contribution would continue. The village was waiting for the Inspectorate’s audit report (LHP).

“We will evaluate it later, as we are waiting for the LHP and the Inspectorate’s recommendations,” Slamet said.

If the Inspectorate recommends that the charge be stopped, Slamet said he would ask the Jambean hamlet head to comply. He noted that the rule had been made by the hamlet, not by Triwidadi Village.

“If the Inspectorate’s LHP recommends that it be stopped, we will ask the hamlet head to follow that recommendation. The village administration knew nothing about the charge,” he said.

Goes viral on social media

The issue came to light after it went viral on social media. Posts circulating online said residents had complained after being asked to pay Rp300,000 when applying for a residence certificate.

“Asked to Pay Rp300,000 for a Residence Certificate: Alleged Levy in Bantul Exposed on Threads. A Threads post contains a person’s account that their friend was asked to pay Rp300,000 while applying for a residence certificate in Padukuhan Jambean, Triwidadi, Pajangan, Bantul. The poster said the incident took place on 16 July 2026. The payment was allegedly made by bank transfer to an account in the hamlet head’s name, without a receipt,” the Instagram account @jogja.vibes said in a post seen by detikJogja that day.

“The same post also showed a document dated 14 May 2024 concerning an agreement on contributions from people buying land or settling in Jambean. The document lists Rp300,000 for the housing area and Rp1 million for the RT area. However, the relationship between that document and the payment described has not been verified. There has been no official explanation from the parties concerned about the basis for the payment or the status of the agreement,” the account added.