Rising Retribution, Inflamed Driver, Ultimatum Police: Don't Disturb Public Roads!

The dum truck driver in East Lombok, NTB Province during a protest against the increase in MBLB levies implemented by the local government (ANTARA)

East Lombok Police, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) reminded dum truck drivers not to block or block state roads on the border of Jenggik, Terara District, and Kopang District, Central Lombok Regency.

"We will take firm action if there are drivers who block or block state roads, for protesting the increase in mineral levy taxes instead of metal and aid (MBLB)," said East Lombok Police OPS Head AKP M Sulaiman as quoted by ANTARA, Sunday, May 4.

Meanwhile, dum truck drivers continue to protest against the policy of the East Lombok Regency Government which raises the MBLB levy tax as of May 1, 2025.

"The state road must be sterile from the action so as not to interfere with the flow of road users' transportation, we have reminded the dum truck drivers not to do that," he said.

Meanwhile, the drivers' demands have been voiced when conducting a hearing with the East Lombok Regency Government.

"Please convey your aspirations properly, the important thing is not to disturb them," he said.

He appealed to all dum truck drivers to keep the situation conducive, because it is a shared task.

"We continue to monitor the dum truck driver who refused to increase the MBLB retribution rate," he said.

Previously, the East Lombok Regency Government (Pemkab) raised the Non-Meal Metal and Batuan Mineral (MBLB) levy tax starting May 1, 2025.

"The increase in the levy tax was carried out by the local government in accordance with the agreement with the mining entrepreneur association C in East Lombok," said Head of the East Lombok Regional Revenue Agency (Bapenda) Muksin.

He said the price per dumb truck in the East Lombok Regency area was IDR 360 thousand, outside the East Lombok area the price per dumb truck was IDR 400 thousand.

"For a retribution tax of 20 percent or Rp. 30,000 for the East Lombok region per dumb and outside amounting to Rp. 60 thousand per dumb," he said.

He said his party had carried out an equalization of sand prices based on an agreement with the management and members of the excavation mining association, so that when there was a protest from the driver about the increase, the local government had nothing to do with the driver.

"This levy tax increase deals with mine owners, not with drivers," he said.

"We have nothing to do with the dum truck driver, we are dealing with mining entrepreneurs, because of the withdrawal of levies at mining entrepreneurs, not to drivers," he said.