UMY Sociologist Says New Resident Levies Could Become a Problem Without Transparency
A sociologist at the University of Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) has shared his views on contributions requested from new residents in Padukuhan Jambean, Bantul. He said levies on newcomers in an area could become a problem if there was no transparency in their management or agreement among residents.
“If there is no clarity about how the money will be used and no agreement, then it is a problem,” said Prof Zuly Qodir, a professor of sociology at UMY, when contacted by detikJogja on Tuesday (13 October 2026).
He stressed that the levies should be accompanied by transparent budgeting, saying residents needed to know how every payment would be used.
“These levies must not be unclear in their purpose or imposed without the agreement of the residents of the hamlet,” he said.
He cited a similar contribution in his own neighbourhood, where the purpose of the money was clearly understood.
“For example, where I live, it is used to buy street lights so the roads are illuminated, to buy the supporting poles, to maintain roads and to contribute to the hamlet’s funds. But all of that is agreed collectively,” he said.
In his view, contributions agreed by residents are intended to foster emotional ties between them, strengthening their shared sense of responsibility for looking after their neighbourhood.
“It needs to be properly organised. Ultimately, the aim is to create an emotional bond among all the residents so they look after their village together,” he said.
Previously, a social media post went viral alleging that a resident of Jambean, Triwidadi, Pajangan, Bantul, had been asked to pay Rp300,000 for a domicile certificate. The village head said the contribution was not for the certificate but for development in the hamlet, and that the resident had not paid.
“A post on Threads alleged that someone’s friend was asked to pay Rp300,000 while arranging a domicile certificate in Padukuhan Jambean, Triwidadi, Pajangan, Bantul. The poster said it happened on 16 July 2026. The payment was reportedly to be transferred to an account in the hamlet head’s name, without a receipt,” the Instagram account @jogja.vibes said in a post seen by detikJogja that day.
“The same post also showed a document dated 14 May 2024 concerning an agreement on contributions from people buying land or settling in Jambean. It listed Rp300,000 for housing estates and Rp1 million for neighbourhood areas. However, the relationship between that document and the payment described in the post has not been verified. There has been no official explanation from the parties concerned about the basis for the payment or the status of the agreement,” the account added.
Triwidadi village head Slamet Riyanto said he was aware of the incident. He also said no money was charged for issuing a domicile certificate.
“We need to make clear that this has nothing to do with administrative services. I read on social media that the person was seeking a domicile certificate and was charged Rp300,000,” he told reporters at the Triwidadi village office in Pajangan, Bantul, on Monday (12 October 2026).
Slamet said he had summoned the Jambean hamlet head to provide an explanation. He said the Rp300,000 contribution was intended for physical and non-physical development in Jambean.
“So it was not a levy related to an application for domicile. It was an agreement reached between the community of Jambean and residents of the housing estate to contribute Rp300,000 towards development in the area,” he said.
He suggested that there may have been a communication breakdown between the complainant and the Jambean hamlet head, who presented the collective decision on contributions towards development in Padukuhan Jambean when the resident applied for a domicile certificate.
“The resident may not have communicated well, and the information was given by the hamlet head when they were applying for a domicile certificate,” he said.