Trust Cannot Be Extorted: Surabaya Government Cracks Down on Illegal Community Levies

Good roads, tidy drainage, and well-organized neighbourhoods mean nothing if public trust in the governance system is eroded. In many corners of Surabaya, the spirit of gotong royong—mutual cooperation—has long been the social capital binding communities together. Residents collectively repair village roads, build drainage channels, organize night patrols, and maintain cleanliness through agreed-upon contributions. Yet, this social capital can become a source of problems when the line between voluntary participation and obligation blurs. New residents are sometimes asked to pay sums of money, administrative processes are linked to unofficial fees, and a perception grows that civil registration services carry a price tag that the government never imposed. What is at stake is not merely the nominal amount of money, but public trust in a system of fair and transparent public service. The Surabaya City Government has now moved to address this with a firm signal: such practices must not be allowed to spread. A circular has been issued to restrict community levies to only three specific purposes—security, cleanliness, and public lighting—as stipulated in existing regulations. The directive also reinforces that all population administration services provided by the civil registry office are free of charge. The case of Sememi, where reports surfaced of levies imposed on new residents, served as a reminder that even long-standing practices must be scrutinized if they contradict the principles of fair public service. The government’s stance is clear: community self-help must not become a coercive financial burden, and the right to public services cannot be held hostage by neighbourhood-level demands.