The government is targeting the completion and operation of 20,000 to 30,000 Merah Putih Village Cooperatives (Koperasi Desa Merah Putih/KDMP) across Indonesia by April 2026.
The program is projected to become a key driver of rural economic strengthening while also supporting various national strategic agendas. The target was conveyed by Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan.
Zulkifli emphasized that the village cooperatives are being prepared as the main platform to accommodate and manage community-based economic activities so they can generate more stable and sustainable economic value.
“These village cooperatives will serve as support for the Free Nutritious Meals Program (MBG) and absorb the outputs of people’s businesses. Hopefully by March or April we can establish around 20,000 to 30,000 units,” Zulkifli Hasan said.
He added that the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives are also projected to become the backbone of the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meals Program (MBG), while supporting the distribution and management of community production at the village level.
To ensure management quality, the central government has prepared human resource support in accordance with a Presidential Instruction, assigning at least three Government Employees with Work Agreements (P3K) to each KDMP.
Deputy Minister of Cooperatives Farida Farichah stressed that the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives should not only be seen as business entities, but also as hubs for consolidating village potential—ranging from agriculture, fisheries, MSMEs, and logistics to microfinance services.
“Cooperatives serve as a bridge between village production and the market, as well as between government policies and community needs,” she said.
According to Farida, if cooperatives are able to connect village resources with market demand, a new economic ecosystem will be created that encourages interregional growth.
“This can become a new economic ecosystem that also connects villages across Indonesia,” she added.
Support has also come from PT PLN (Persero). PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo stated the company’s readiness to support the President’s priority programs by providing reliable electricity and service innovations for Merah Putih Village Cooperatives.
“Cooperative agents can carry out electricity bill payment transactions directly to residents’ homes using only WhatsApp,” he said.
According to Darmawan, each transaction will contribute regular income to the cooperatives and strengthen the sustainability of village businesses.
In addition, PLN has opened opportunities for cooperation in biomass energy development by involving Merah Putih Village Cooperatives as part of the supply chain.*