Viral Alleged Illegal Levies at Bukit Seger, Central Lombok Government Responds
Illegal levies (pungli) have occurred at Bukit Seger, Kuta Village, Pujut District, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). The alleged illegal levies went viral after a video was uploaded by the Instagram account @faricayo.
In the uploaded video, a woman said she parked her motorbike in the Bukit Seger area and was asked to pay Rp 10,000. Upon closer inspection, she became suspicious because the ticket she was given was actually printed with ‘Bau Nyale festival entrance retribution’. This indicated that the ticket was not an official parking ticket for the location.
Her frustration peaked when she was about to climb the hill after crossing the bridge. There, she was approached again and asked to pay another Rp 10,000 just to go up the hill. After protesting because she felt she had already paid an expensive parking fee, the tariff was then reduced to Rp 5,000.
However, another surprise emerged when she asked for an official ticket. The tourist was only given a ticket showing a price of Rp 2,500, far below the amount initially demanded. She also did not hesitate to describe the action as a form of extortion.
The tourist stressed that her main issue was not the amount of money spent, but rather the dishonesty of the managers at the location. She admitted that she strongly disliked the illegal levies occurring in the tourist area.
Deputy Regent of Central Lombok, M Nursiah, has spoken out about the illegal levies at Bukit Seger. Nursiah regretted the illegal levies because they could damage Lombok’s tourism image in the eyes of visitors. Nursiah will assign the relevant regional apparatus organisation (OPD) to coordinate with the local National Land Agency (BPN) to clarify the land status.
“If it relates to the land status at Seger, we will later assign the relevant OPD to ask BPN so that we can discuss the land status to align its benefits, functions, management and operations,” Nursiah told journalists on Wednesday (19/8/2026).
Nursiah stressed that the discussion about the land needs to be held. This is because, based on information he received, the Bukit Seger area is privately owned land. Certainty over the land status could serve as a basis for the Central Lombok Regency Government to arrange its management.
“If the community owns this, we will ask whether it is cooperated with a third party or how. In essence, Seger indeed needs certainty from BPN,” Nursiah asserted.
The land status issue, Nursiah said, has often been a source of polemic in the area, so the Central Lombok Regency Government must be careful in taking a stance.
“Whatever the status is later, we can coordinate with whether it is an individual or a legal entity. Many people say that it belongs to person A or person B. Some say that the land is customary ulayat land,” Nursiah added.
Nursiah said the illegal levies occurred because the management of the Bukit Seger area remains unclear to this day. The Central Lombok Regency Government has no authority to take enforcement action because the land status is not yet clear.
“Regarding these illegal levies, including the management carried out by groups or individuals for parking activities and so on, that can be confirmed after the land status is clear,” Nursiah explained.
On the other hand, Nursiah also conveyed that Central Lombok Regent Lalu Pathul Bahri has another idea, namely proposing that the Bukit Seger area be issued a Land Use Rights (HPL) designation so that its management can be regulated.
“The Regent has also previously conveyed to us, including to BPN, to confirm its status and make it an HPL of the regional government, so that its management can be regulated by the government,” Nursiah revealed.