The lateral surface area excludes the top and bottom, the bases as they're referred to here. So we have the 9×5 front and back, and the 9×6 left and right sides.
Lateral Area = 9×5 + 9×5 + 9×6 + 9×6 = 9×(5+5+6+6) = 9×22 = 198
Answer: 198 square inches