Jakarta – The presence of the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperative (Kopdes Merah Putih) is increasingly demonstrating its strategic role in helping communities obtain basic necessities at affordable prices while simultaneously strengthening the village economy. This government-initiated program is designed as an integrated service center at the village level, one of which is providing affordable grocery outlets that directly address residents’ daily needs.
Deputy Minister of Cooperatives Farida Farichah stated that strengthening village cooperatives must be supported by adequate access to capital and modern governance. Furthermore, the use of digital systems is crucial to ensure transparency and accountability in fund management at the village level.
“Before applying for funding, every cooperative must be registered with the Red and White Village Cooperative Information System (Simkopdes). Access to financing requires digital administrative readiness,” he said during a working visit to the Red and White Village Cooperative in Mangga Dua in Serdang Bedagai Regency, North Sumatra.
One of the development focuses of the Merah Putih Mangga Dua Village Cooperative (Kopdes Merah Putih) is rice. Funding is being directed towards the procurement of independent rice milling equipment so that farmers are no longer dependent on third parties. This way, the added value of agricultural products can be directly enjoyed by the village community. Construction of the Merah Putih Kopdes outlet in the area has reportedly reached 98 percent and is targeted for completion in the second week of February 2026, serving as a national pilot.
Nationally, the government is targeting the operation of 27,000 Red and White Village Cooperatives (Kopdes Merah Putih) by early April 2026, expanding to 80,000 units by the end of the year. Each cooperative is expected to have seven main outlets, including a cooperative office, a grocery store, a savings and loan unit, a village clinic and pharmacy, a refrigerated warehouse, and logistics facilities. Cold storage facilities are considered crucial for fishing villages and horticultural centers to maintain crop quality and price stability.
Elsewhere, the Head of the Gorontalo City Cooperatives Office, Nurainsyah Kadir, revealed that the public is starting to feel the direct benefits of the affordable grocery outlets. He
confirmed that prices for goods and food at the Merah Putih Cooperative Outlets are below modern market prices because the cooperative works directly with distributors.
“Prices at the Merah Putih Cooperative Outlet are below modern market prices because we work directly with distributors of goods and food ingredients,” he said.
Nurainsyah added that the presence of cooperatives is not intended to kill small businesses. Instead, local shops are encouraged to source their products from cooperative outlets to obtain more competitive prices.
“Small businesses can continue to operate and remain competitive, while cooperatives play a supporting role in the distribution of goods,” he added.
With a shorter distribution scheme, soft financing support, and a digital system, the Red and White Village Cooperatives (Kopdes Merah Putih) is expected to be an effective tool for maintaining community purchasing power. This program also strengthens food security, creates job opportunities, and re-establishes cooperatives as the backbone of the people’s economy at the village level.