Lombok Tengah's Rp 22 Billion Building Lies Idle, Rental Scheme Still Under Review

The grand Masmirah bencingah building, located east of the Central Lombok Regent’s Office in West Nusa Tenggara, is rarely used. The building, which cost Rp 22 billion, has seen little activity since hosting the provincial-level Musabaqah Tilawatil Quran (MTQ) last June.

Central Lombok Regional Secretary Lalu Firman Wijaya acknowledged that the building’s usage remains minimal. He stated that the lack of activity is due to the fact that the building’s management model is still under review.

‘It will be rented out later. But the scheme is still being discussed,’ Firman said on Thursday (23/7/2026).

Firman referred further questions regarding the usage scheme to the Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (BPKAD) of Central Lombok, noting that the rental pattern and rates are still under discussion.

‘Ask BPKAD. Because it is still being discussed there,’ he stressed.

Separately, the Head of BPKAD Central Lombok stated that the operational management scheme for the multipurpose ballroom and the Masmirah bencingah has been assigned to the Public Works and Public Housing Agency (PUPR). An appraisal to determine a fair rental value for the two facilities has recently been completed.

‘Regarding the rental scheme, the Public Works and Public Housing Agency will be the operator. We have just finished the appraisal to set the rental rates,’ he said.

He added that the two buildings will be managed by the PUPR Agency, and the resulting rental income will be directed into the locally-generated revenue (PAD) stream.

‘It has been decided that the PUPR Agency will operate it, and the payments will go into PAD. We are just waiting for the Regent’s Decree for the management,’ he confirmed.

The Masmirah bencingah complex consists of two structures: the bencingah at the southern end and a multipurpose ballroom at the rear. The brown building with gold motifs towers over Jalan Raya Raden Puguh in Praya, Central Lombok.

The facility, built with a budget of approximately Rp 22 billion, was used as a venue for the NTB MTQ event in mid-June 2026. However, several aspects still require improvement, including landscaping, gardens, and irrigation. The bencingah occupies a strategic location, situated east of the Central Lombok Regent’s Office, opposite the Lombok Polytechnic of Tourism campus, and not far from the Lombok Institute of Governance.