Tangsel Residents Upset Over Rp3.5 Million Funeral Costs

Tangsellife.com - Residents of South Tangerang are concerned about the continued existence of Tangsel burial costs amounting to millions of rupiah at the Sari Mulya Public Cemetery (TPU), Setu District, even though the local government has abolished burial service levies.

In fact, the South Tangerang City Government had previously stipulated the abolition of levies through Regional Regulation (Perda) Number 10 of 2023 concerning Regional Taxes and Levies.

However, on the ground, residents claim they are still charged up to Rp3.5 million when arranging the burial of their family members.

Tangsel Burial Costs Still Complained About by Residents

Complaints about Tangsel burial costs emerged from a resident who arranged a burial at TPU Sari Mulya. He admitted to having to pay around Rp3.5 million per grave as an administrative fee.

This statement was also reinforced by grave diggers at the location. They mentioned that the cost varies depending on the type of burial.

“If it’s a Muslim grave here, it’s Rp3.5 million, if it’s non-Muslim, it’s Rp4.5 million. That’s paid to the management. Our wages are separate, around Rp600 thousand per hole,” said one of the grave diggers at TPU Sari Mulya.

Residents Question the Basis of Tangsel Burial Costs

Setu community leader, Kirman, said that the issue of Tangsel burial costs is not new. Resident complaints have surfaced before, but detailed explanations regarding the basis of these charges have not yet been provided.

“As far as I know, burials are free. But there are administrative fees from the management. Residents have questioned that,” he said.

He believes that an open explanation is needed to avoid misunderstandings in the community.

Explanation from the Relevant Agency Regarding Tangsel Burial Costs

Meanwhile, the South Tangerang Department of Housing, Settlement Areas, and Land (Disperkimta) stated that all burial services refer to regional regulations, namely Regional Regulation Number 2 of 2021 concerning Burial and Cremation of Corpses.

Official information regarding burial policies can be found on the South Tangerang City Government website:
https://www.tangerangselatankota.go.id

According to Disperkimta, they only manage administrative aspects and the provision of burial land. Technical needs during the burial, such as digging graves, tents, and tombstones, are usually handled by the family or service providers outside the government.

“We only handle administration and land. For burial technicalities, it is usually outside government services,” said a Disperkimta official.

TPU Sari Mulya and Its Management

TPU Sari Mulya itself is one of the integrated burial areas owned by the South Tangerang City Government, built to address the limited availability of burial land.

Part of the TPU land also comes from the handover of Infrastructure, Facilities, and Utilities (PSU) from housing developers as an obligation to the local government.

To date, residents hope for clarity on the cost structure so that Tangsel burial costs no longer cause controversy in the community.