FitHub Kopo and Surya Sumantri Closed Over Alleged Illegal Franchise Operation

A FitHub fitness centre in the Kopo and Surya Sumantri areas of Bandung was closed from Monday (24/8) after it was alleged not to be registered as a franchise and not to have a Franchise Registration Certificate (STPW). The closure was carried out by PT Asimah Citraprasada Nusantara as an effort to safeguard company assets said to have been used in a business partnership that allegedly lacked legal status as a franchise.

Director of PT Asimah Citraprasada Nusantara, Herlia Yusnita, said the matter stemmed from a business partnership with PT Jaya Digital Properti as the owner and manager of the FitHub business units. Her company initially considered the partnership to be a franchise. However, after about two years, it obtained information from the Ministry of Trade that the FitHub units in Kopo and Surya Sumantri were not registered as a franchise and did not have an STPW.

“A franchise and a partnership are very different. A franchise has its own legal standing and the public is more attracted to a franchise because the business has been tested and has its own laws regarding franchising,” she explained.

Herlia suspected that the status as a franchise was used to attract public interest and provide assurance to prospective partners. In the partnership, PT Asimah paid a franchise fee as well as a monthly management fee for the management of the business units.

“PT Jaya Digital Properti is the owner of FitHub as well as the manager of our business units. We paid a franchise fee and we also paid a management fee for the management of our business units every month,” she said.

Herlia admitted that PT Asimah suffered losses from three business units, namely in Lengkong, Kopo, and Surya Sumantri. The total capital spent to build the three units was said to have reached more than Rp10 billion. She also questioned the transparency of the business financial reports.

According to Herlia, the information regarding income and expenditure received by the company was only in the form of an Excel file without supporting documents, transaction evidence, or tax documents. “We do not know the certainty of income from the business units and expenditure because what they informed us of was only an Excel file without any documentary evidence, transactions, or taxation,” she said.

In addition to the issue of franchise status, Herlia highlighted alleged tax obligations that were not fulfilled by the manager, including income tax (PPh) Article 21 and other taxes. Over these issues, PT Asimah decided to terminate the partnership and close the business units. Herlia said the move was taken to prevent larger legal and financial problems in the future.

“That is what we are highlighting at the moment. We cannot continue the partnership with them. We closed this on that basis, because we do not want problems in the future,” she said.

Herlia said her company had pursued a number of legal measures, including sending a formal warning. Previously, PT Asimah also claimed to have attempted to resolve the matter through meetings with the manager, but no agreement was reached.

“We have also reported it to the National Police Headquarters, because at that time we wanted to terminate the contract. However, they did not want to stop and instead fined us Rp15 billion if we wanted to stop. In fact, the agreement did not mention any fines,” she continued.

Herlia added that the partnership agreement stipulated that one party could terminate the partnership in the event of a default. However, she said the manager still refused to terminate the contract and instead demanded payment of a fine. PT Asimah therefore chose to take legal action while also requesting protection over the assets and business units that had been built. “We decided that they may no longer use and exploit our business units,” she said.

Herlia also referred to a letter from the Directorate General of Domestic Trade of the Ministry of Trade dated 28 July 2025. Based on a check said to have been carried out through the Ministry of Trade’s Inatrade database, PT Jaya Digital Properti was said not to be recorded as having an STPW. The closure of the FitHub units in Kopo and Surya Sumantri was part of PT Asimah’s measures to stop the use of company assets by the manager until the partnership issue and its legal aspects are resolved.