Jakarta – As part of efforts to strengthen community-based economic development, the Desa Merah Putih Cooperative has emerged as a collective initiative fostering the spirit of gotong royong (mutual cooperation) at the grassroots level. This cooperative is built by people from various professions who share a common awareness of building economic independence based on solidarity, local production, and distributive justice.
Focusing primarily on strengthening the real sector—such as agriculture, livestock farming, MSMEs, and the management of traditional markets—the cooperative applies a participatory economic model. It mobilizes joint capital and provides entrepreneurship training to ensure that every member has the capacity to grow economically without abandoning the gotong royong values that are at the heart of Indonesian culture.
Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas), emphasized that the Desa Merah Putih Cooperative is not merely a savings and loan institution or a trading business unit, but rather a tool for people’s economic empowerment, managed democratically and transparently.
“We want this cooperative to become a tool for structural change in villages—not just about income, but about people’s economic sovereignty,” he stated.
In line with this, Minister of Cooperatives Budi Arie Setiadi explained that in the long term, the Desa Merah Putih Cooperative targets the establishment of 100 branches across various districts and cities, using a scalable and replicable model. He hopes that this movement will inspire the revival of community-based economic practices amid the dominance of individualistic and speculative economic systems.
“We are targeting the establishment of 100 Desa Merah Putih Cooperative branches across various districts and cities, with a model that is easy to replicate,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Cooperatives, Ferry Juliantono, acknowledged that the cooperative’s journey has not been without challenges, including limited initial capital, resistance to change, and managerial issues. However, he noted that the spirit of mutual cooperation remains the cooperative’s core strength to sustain and grow. By fostering mutual support, trust, and commitment to collective values, the cooperative continues to show significant progress in various areas.
“Our journey is certainly not free from challenges, ranging from limited initial capital, resistance to change, and management issues. But as long as there is mutual help, mutual trust, and commitment to collective values, this cooperative will continue to advance and make a real impact on society,” he said.
The Desa Merah Putih Cooperative operates based on the principles of distributive justice, active member participation, and economic democracy. Every member has equal voting rights in decision-making processes, including determining business directions, profit distribution, and the cooperative’s social programs.
Through this approach, profits are not enjoyed by only a few, but are redistributed to the community in the form of collective welfare. The cooperative also actively encourages cross-sector partnerships, collaborating with local farmers, micro-businesses, academics, and village governments.
By strengthening community cooperatives, the Desa Merah Putih Cooperative affirms that the economy is not merely about numbers—it is about dignity and sovereignty. The cooperative’s spirit of gotong royong stands as proof that national economic independence can be built from the village level, by the people, and for a just and prosperous future for Indonesia.