Jakarta – The government continues to strengthen the role of the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperative (KDKMP) as a driver of the people’s economy and an instrument for creating a more inclusive economic ecosystem throughout Indonesia.
To date, 83,000 KDKMPs have been established across various regions. These cooperatives serve as a crucial foundation for strengthening village economies, opening access to financing, expanding markets, and encouraging digital transformation for micro and small businesses.
The Director of the Media Ecosystem at the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Komdigi), Farida Dewi Maharani, said the government is not only focused on building telecommunications networks, but also ensuring that this infrastructure can be utilized to increase the economic capacity of the community.
“The digital transformation of MSMEs and village cooperatives cannot occur in isolation. Collective synergy is needed to enable MSMEs to advance, become more adaptive, and sustainably grow,” said Farida at a Media Workshop in Semarang, Central Java.
According to Farida, digital infrastructure support continues to expand. Currently, 4G networks reach 98.95 percent of Indonesia’s population, while 5G services are available in several economic centers and urban areas.
Meanwhile, Riza Azmi, Assistant Deputy for Cooperative Digitalization at the Ministry of Cooperatives, explained that all KDKMPs are now supported by the Village Cooperative Management Information System (Simkopdes) as part of the modernization of cooperative governance.
“As a commitment to modern governance, Simkopdes serves as the technological foundation for the Merah Putih Cooperative. This platform bridges transparency, operational efficiency, and ease of access for all members,” said Riza.
On the other hand, the Head of the Center for Macroeconomics and Finance of Indef, M. Rizal Taufikurahman, assessed that the Merah Putih Village Cooperative has great potential to strengthen financial inclusion in rural areas.
According to him, cooperatives can be an alternative for people who have so far depended on loan sharks and middlemen.
“Kopdes Merah Putih has the potential to be an alternative to loan sharks, but it won’t automatically replace them,” said Rizal.
He emphasized the need for cooperatives to be present as integrated village economic service centers, providing not only low-interest financing but also marketing access, business mentoring, digitalization, and business partnerships.
“The success of this program must be measured by the reduction in loan shark practices, the increase in income for village entrepreneurs, the increase in productive businesses, and the sustainable improvement in community welfare,” he said.
With the support of digitalization, modern governance, and increasingly comprehensive economic services, the Merah Putih Village Cooperative is expected to become a driving force for inclusive and sustainable village economic growth.