Funds Expenditure For Bureaucratics, Tax Increase And Retribution Become The Local Government's Shortcut To Patch The APBD

Illustration of the increase in the UN which is considered a shortcut for local governments to add to the APBD. (Photo: Special)

JAKARTA - Trisakti University public policy observer Trubus Rahardiansyah assessed that the steps taken by a number of local governments (Pemda) to boost tax rates increases were the result of the budget efficiency imposed by the central government.

According to him, the local government considers the fastest way to withdraw funds for additional budgets is through increasing regional taxes and levies. "Imagine that the APBD in the area has run out for bureaucracy, while for their construction there is already a lot of URBAN. Finding investment is also not easy. Finally, yes, look for the fastest way. Yes, that's by raising taxes," he said, Sunday, August 17, 2025.

Trubus revealed that a wave of people's protests like what happened in Pati could spread to various other areas.

Moreover, the problems faced by residents tend to be similar, namely being asked for additional taxes on economic conditions is difficult.

"This is a danger signal for the central government actually. Moreover, the Pati Regent comes from Gerindra, the same party as President Prabowo Subianto," he added.

Minister of State Secretary (Mensesneg) Prasetyo Hadi himself dismissed the assumption that the increase in taxes and levies such as the Land Building Tax (PBB) in a number of areas was not related to central government policies, including budget efficiency.

This is because all policies are the authority of each regional government.

The increase in UN is policies at the district/city level. It is not true that the increases are now, as if they were the result of processes at the center. No. Every year there must be areas that decide to raise the UN," he said.

Previously, the people of Pati held a demonstration and urged the Regent of Pati Sadewo to resign from his position.

They protested Sadewo's policy of suddenly boosting the value of the Rural and Urban Land and Building Tax (PBB-P2) by 250 percent.

Not only in Pati, but the policy of increasing UN rates also occurred in a number of other districts and cities. The Jombang Regency Government even boosted the PBB-P2 to 1,202 percent.

Jombang Regent Warsubi argued that the policy had been approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) and the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu).

In Semarang Regency, a number of residents reported a drastic increase in their UN bills.

The Semarang Regency Government argued that the increase in the UN was caused by an adjustment in the value of tax objects based on strategic locations and a change in the number of buildings in residential areas.

However, many residents protested the seemingly unilateral policy.

Not long ago, a protest was also held by the Cirebon City Rainbow Association. Like Pati residents, they rejected the UN's policy of increasing, which even reached 1,000 percent in several areas.

According to them, it would be unfair if Cirebon residents were burdened with such a large tax increase while the Pati Regent had canceled the increase in the PBB-P2.