JAYAPURA — The Papua Provincial Government has confirmed that the video circulating among the public showing visitors being charged fees in the Kotaraja Autonomous Area is indeed authentic. The levies were collected by an individual civil servant without any order from superiors and without any legal basis under existing regulations.

In response, Acting Head of the Papua Provincial Civil Service Police Unit, Ferry Maikel Baransano, together with related agencies, carried out an inspection, enforcement action, and direct monitoring at the location on Friday, February 27, 2026.

During the operation, the team confirmed that the illegal levy practice had been stopped and that conditions at the site had returned to normal. The civil servant involved will be officially questioned, and the relevant technical agency will proceed with disciplinary action in accordance with applicable laws and regulations to create a deterrent effect and prevent similar incidents from recurring in the future.

The Papua Provincial Government emphasized that there is currently no regulation that justifies any levy on visitors in the area unless and until a written provision governing it. This incident is a serious warning to all civil servants not to engage in similar actions that could damage the image of government institutions and negatively affect their own career development.

The Papua Provincial Government remains committed to maintaining integrity, professionalism, and clean, transparent public service, and also invites the public to take an active role in reporting illegal levies to promote good governance. ***