Pati Regency Government Clarifies IDR 840,000 Levy on Lontong Sayur Vendor

A lontong sayur vendor in Kebolampang Village, Winong District, Pati Regency, recently went viral after being billed for a levy amounting to IDR 840,000. The Pati Regency Government has since provided clarification regarding the incident. News of the vendor being charged IDR 840,000 spread widely on social media. The post showed a trader shocked by the levy. After investigation, the stall owner was identified as Maryati, a resident of Kebolampang Village, Winong District. Maryati is a lontong sayur vendor occupying a plot of land on an irrigation embankment owned by the Pati Public Works Department. She occupies a 28-square-metre plot, for which she was charged IDR 840,000. The video explained the calculation: the stall measures 28 square metres, multiplied by IDR 10,000 per square metre, resulting in IDR 280,000 per year. As the permit is valid for three years, the total came to IDR 840,000. The vendor stated that Public Works officers had visited a month earlier to register the site and requested a stamp duty reimbursement of IDR 50,000. A month later, they returned to collect the IDR 840,000 fee. Maryati expressed shock at the charge, saying she had never experienced such a levy before. Plt Secretary of the Pati Public Works and Spatial Planning Office, Widyotomo Kusdiyanto, confirmed that Maryati had a permit to use the irrigation embankment land. He explained the retribution arose because the vendor applied for a permit to use the site, in accordance with Regional Regulation No. 1 of 2024, which sets the tariff. The receipt shows 28 square metres multiplied by IDR 10,000, equalling IDR 280,000 per year. Since the permit is valid for three years, the total is IDR 840,000. Widyotomo noted that officers collected the three-year fee upfront, which may have caused the perception of a high cost.