Makassar City Government Waives Waste Fees for Tens of Thousands of Households

Tens of thousands of households in Makassar, South Sulawesi, are now receiving free waste collection services, with the exemption targeting low-income communities.

“The main indicator is household electricity capacity of 450 VA and 900 VA, which represents the low-income segment of the population,” said Helmy Budiman, Head of the Makassar City Environment Agency (DLH), on Saturday (21 February).

He said the programme, initiated by Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin, is implemented under Makassar Mayoral Regulation Number 13 of 2025 on waste levies and Makassar City Regional Regulation Number 1 of 2024 on regional taxes and levies.

Helmy explained that the free waste levy programme has been in effect since July 2025 and has reached 49,209 households spread across 14 sub-districts.

The waste levy exemption is granted exclusively to households with R1/450 VA and R1/900 VA electricity connections.

Helmy said the programme’s primary objective is to ease the economic burden on impoverished residents whilst ensuring that sanitation services continue to operate optimally and equitably across Makassar.

“This policy is not merely about waiving tariffs — it is about delivering a sense of fairness in public services,” he explained.

Of the total 49,209 beneficiary households, 11,487 fall under the R1/450 VA category and 37,722 under the R1/900 VA category.

“This number is projected to continue rising in 2026 as the policy is strengthened and programme coverage is expanded,” he said.

In terms of geographical distribution, within the R1/450 VA category the highest number of beneficiaries is in Biringkanaya sub-district with 2,607 households, followed by Manggala with 1,687 households and Tamalanrea with 1,520 households.

For the R1/900 VA category, the highest figures are recorded in Manggala sub-district with 5,696 households, followed by Rappocini with 4,808 households and Tamalate with 4,143 households.

“The free waste levy service continues to operate optimally and has not been suspended,” he said.

Waste Fee Discounts

In addition, the Makassar city government is also offering a reduced tariff scheme for households with electricity connections ranging from 1,300 VA to 2,200 VA.

“This group is not fully exempted, but receives a tariff reduction in accordance with the regional regulation as a form of equitable subsidy,” he said.

Helmy said this scheme replaces the previous zone-based system under Mayoral Regulation Number 56 of 2015, which had set a flat rate of Rp16,000 per month for households in the 450 VA and 900 VA categories.

The latest waste levy tariffs based on electricity capacity are as follows: R1/450 VA: Rp0 per month; R1/900 VA: Rp0 per month; R1M/900 VA: Rp15,000 per month; R1/1,300 VA: Rp20,000 per month; R1/2,200 VA: Rp30,000 per month; R1/3,500–5,500 VA: Rp50,000 per month; R1/6,600 VA and above: Rp135,000 per month.