President Prabowo Calls for National Synergy on Red-and-White Cooperatives
President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday (7/23) chaired a limited cabinet meeting with several ministers of the Red and White Cabinet at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta. During three-and-a-half-hour meeting, President Prabowo reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to accelerating the development of the Red and White Village Cooperatives, Red and White Urban Village Cooperatives, and Red and White Fisher’s Cooperatives as both government strategic infrastructure and key drivers of the people’s economy.
Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) stated that President Prabowo had instructed all ministries and government agencies to provide full support for the development of the Red and White Cooperatives. The President also directed the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) to assist in ensuring the successful implementation of the program nationwide.
“The President has made it clear that the Red and White Village Cooperatives, Red and White Urban Village Cooperatives, and Red and White Fisher’s Cooperatives must receive full support from all ministries and government agencies. They will also be supported by the TNI and the Polri to ensure the success of the Red and White Village and Urban Village Cooperatives, both as government infrastructure and as off-takers,” Zulhas said during a press briefing following the meeting.
According to Zulhas, President Prabowo has designated the Red and White Cooperatives as the primary distribution centers for various government programs. All subsidized goods and government assistance will eventually be distributed through these cooperatives to ensure a more integrated and targeted distribution system.
“As part of the Government’s infrastructure, all subsidized goods and government assistance will be distributed through the Red and White Village Cooperatives or the Red and White Urban Village Cooperatives,” he added.
In addition to discussing the institutional strengthening of the cooperatives, the meeting also reviewed preparations for Agrinas Pangan’s first loan installment payment to the State-Owned Banks Assosiation (Himbara), which is due in September. The Government is currently accelerating the verification and validation process to ensure that all requirements are completed by August.
“We have also been working hard, as we reported today, to ensure that all requirements are completed this August, so that before September the first installment payment from the Red and White Village and Urban Village Cooperatives can be made to Himbara,” Zulhas explained.
Furthermore, Zulhas stated that President Prabowo had instructed all levels of the Government to complete every necessary preparation so that the benefits of the Red and White Cooperatives can be enjoyed by the public as soon as possible.
“All preparations must be completed to ensure the program runs smoothly and successfully. We hope that after October, all aspects of the Village Cooperatives will be fully established, transparent, and their benefits can be felt directly by the Indonesian people,” he concluded.
The strengthening of the Red and White Cooperatives forms part of the Government’s broader strategy to build a stronger people-centered economic ecosystem. With support from ministries, government agencies, the TNI, the Polri, and regional governments, President Prabowo envisions these cooperatives serving not only as distribution channels for government programs but also as centers of economic activity in villages and urban communities, creating greater business opportunities, strengthening community economic resilience, and promoting more equitable prosperity for all Indonesians.
(BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (RD/AW)
