TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto officially launched the Red-and-White Cooperative (Koperasi Merah Putih/KMP) program nationwide on Monday, July 21, 2025. The launch ceremony took place at the Red-and-White Village Cooperative in Bentangan Village, Wonosari District, Klaten Regency, Central Java. A total of 80,081 cooperatives have been formed and officially inaugurated as part of this initiative.
The event was attended by ministers and deputy ministers of the "Merah Putih" Cabinet, along with notable figures including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, the Deputy Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, Bambang Wuryanto (also known as Bambang Pacul), and several other members of the House of Representatives.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and Chairperson of the Task Force for Accelerating the Formation of Red-and-White Village Cooperatives, Zulkifli Hasan, stated that while 80,081 village cooperatives have been institutionally formed across Indonesia, 108 are currently ready to operate.
"Legally, today, 80,081 cooperatives have been formed. This gives birth to a new face for cooperatives in Indonesia," Zulkifli said during the inauguration.
Zulkifli, known as Zulhas, hailed the inauguration of the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives as a milestone for an effective, modern, and digital cooperative movement. He emphasized the importance of Indonesia becoming food self-sufficient and urged against dependency on food imports. "In the future, Red-and-White Cooperatives will be equipped with various businesses," he stated.
He detailed that these businesses would include 3-kilogram LPG gas outlets, village clinics and pharmacies, rice/corn warehouses and dryers, savings and loans services, village logistics facilities, fertilizer agents, electricity payment services, and other ventures tailored to each village's potential.
"We must not depend on food imports; we must be food, water, and energy self-sufficient. We must empower our farmers with a fair and sustainable system," he added.
Zulhas further explained that the establishment of these village cooperatives utilizes existing assets like village meeting halls and unused schools. The ministry aims for all village cooperatives across Indonesia to be operational within the next three months.
"This is just the initial step, with only 108 currently operational. Our target is to ensure that within the next three months, all village cooperatives will be operational in each village," he said.
Zulhas expressed optimism that within three to four years, cooperatives will become the economic backbone of villages, fostering the emergence of local businesses and accelerating grassroots economic growth.
In his speech, Prabowo highlighted the fundamental concept of cooperatives as a tool for the vulnerable. "We understand that the concept of cooperatives is for the weak. The strong will not want to deal with cooperatives or become cooperative members. They want to establish corporations, holdings, and so on," he said.
According to Prabowo, the concept of cooperatives is simple: just as a single strand of bamboo is weak and insignificant, combining dozens or hundreds of strands makes it strong and unbreakable. "This means that cooperatives are a tool that can help us move from weakness to strength through mutual cooperation. This is the concept of cooperatives," he concluded.
Editor's Choice: Prabowo Coins Term 'Serakahnomics' to Criticize Greedy Profit Seekers
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Indonesia Grants 0 Percent Tariffs to 99 Percent of U.S. Products
2 jam lalu
Indonesian President Prabowo removes non-tariff and tariff barriers for 99% of U.S. products, setting the tariff at 0%. What are the commodities?
Prabowo Coins Term 'Serakahnomics' to Criticize Greedy Profit Seekers
2 jam lalu
Prabowo has introduced a new term to criticize those he sees as excessively greedy in the pursuit of profit. He called it 'serakahnomics'.
Prabowo Urges AG, Police to Crack Down on Rice Adulteration
3 jam lalu
Prabowo Subianto criticized deceptive rice adulteration practices by entrepreneurs, calling them serious violations behind rising rice prices.
Prabowo Says Too Many People Feel Smart: 'They Comment on Everything'
4 jam lalu
President Prabowo Subianto noted a rising trend of people who see themselves as highly intelligent and feel compelled to comment on many issues.
Jokowi Hails Prabowo's U.S. Tariff Talk Success with Trump
5 jam lalu
Former President Jokowi lauded President Prabowo for the successful negotiations with President Donald Trump on import tariffs.
Prabowo Counters 'Dark Indonesia' Narrative, Citing Poverty and Unemployment Rates Decline
6 jam lalu
President Prabowo Subianto claimed that Indonesia's national development is currently on the right track.
Tens of Thousands of Online Motorcycle Taxi Drivers to Go On Protest This Afternoon. What Are the Demands?
7 jam lalu
Tens of thousands of online motorcycle taxi drivers will go on protesting this afternoon at the Horse Statue area, Central Jakarta.
Prabowo Accuses Corruptors of Illegally Paying Protesters in 'Dark Indonesia' Protests
13 jam lalu
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto claimed that corruptors pay the masses for demonstrations under the titles 'Dark Indonesia'.
Prabowo to Inaugurate 80,000 Merah Putih Village Cooperatives Tomorrow
21 jam lalu
President Prabowo Subianto will inaugurate 80,000 Merah Putih Village Cooperatives on Monday, July 21, 2025.
IKN Moratorium Proposal Draws Strong Opposition
1 hari lalu
The uncertainty surrounding the status of IKN has led the Nasdem Party to propose a temporary moratorium on its construction.
