Bali vendors refuse to pay daily levy

A number of vendors at a traditional market in Bangli, Bali, are refusing to pay the daily levy because it was increased without prior notice being given.

“The increase is a real burden for us and we were not told about it before [it was introduced],” Agung Sri, a vendor at Kidul Market, said on Friday, antaranews.com reported.

He criticized the government and the legislators for increasing the fee without discussing it first with the vendors.

The market's head, I Wayan Jeben Windria, said many vendors, including all the textile sellers on the second floor of the market and those on the ground floor, had refused to pay the levy, adding that he could not force them to make the payments.

Under Bylaw No. 22/2011 on the Retribution of Market Services, the daily levy for each vendor has increased from between Rp 500 (6 US cents) and Rp 3,000 to between Rp 2,000 and Rp 10,000.