By: Ahmadi Rayhan )*
The government continues to strengthen the foundation of national development from the grassroots by presenting the Red and White Cooperative as the main instrument for driving the village economy. This initiative not only marks a change in the direction of development policy that is more in favor of villages, but also reflects the spirit of economic independence that is structurally embedded in the governance of President Prabowo Subianto.
The Red and White Cooperative is designed not just as an ordinary economic institution, but as a village institution that is able to mobilize local potential as a whole. Its presence is positioned as a link between the needs of the community and the logistics, agriculture, goods distribution, and service systems that have so far not evenly reached remote areas of the country. The government believes that village cooperatives are a real solution in encouraging equitable development and reducing economic inequality between regions.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Sudaryono, assessed that this cooperative is a bridge between government programs and the needs of village communities, especially in the aspects of agriculture and food security. The role of cooperatives includes vital functions such as providing fertilizer, renting agricultural equipment, and distributing production results. With the active involvement of farmers, extension workers, and village officials, cooperatives have become new nodes that drive the village economic chain collectively and sustainably.
The President himself has paid great attention to the importance of the state’s presence in remote areas. In the government’s view, the Red and White Cooperative is a means that allows people in remote areas to feel the presence of the state in a concrete way. Moreover, the significant increase in national food production in early 2025 has also increased confidence in the effectiveness of this village-based strategy. The surge in rice and corn production shows that the national agricultural ecosystem has shown positive results, which are partly supported by the strengthening of the role of village institutions.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Cooperatives, Ferry Juliantono, expressed optimism about the acceleration of the formation of village cooperatives, the results of which have been seen in a number of regions. One of the regions that has recorded impressive progress is Lahat Regency, which has succeeded in completing 100 percent of the formation of village and sub-district cooperative legal entities. This step is appreciated as a reflection of the region’s seriousness in making cooperatives the basis for local economic development that is inclusive, independent, and oriented towards the welfare of citizens.
This success shows that the formation of cooperatives is not just a discourse, but is actively moving in the government system and community participation. The central government, regional governments, and village structures have shown a strong collective commitment in supporting this strategic step. With the mutual cooperation model that is the hallmark of the village, cooperatives can develop into a new, solid and crisis-resistant economic foundation.
In Central Kalimantan, the spirit of development from the village has also received strong encouragement. The Central Kalimantan Provincial Government through the Village Government Implementation Coordination Meeting and the launch of the Special Deliberation on the Establishment of the Red and White Cooperative emphasized that cooperatives are an integral part of the President’s ASTA CITA agenda.
The Governor of Central Kalimantan, Agustiar Sabran, said that all levels of government from the province to the village have been involved to accelerate the realization of the formation of this cooperative.
The latest data shows that hundreds of villages and sub-districts in Central Kalimantan have gone through stages of socialization, deliberation, and the process of registering legal entities. Although there are still villages in the early stages, the direction of policy movement is clear, and the path of synergy between the central and regional governments is increasingly neatly formed.
The Red and White Cooperative in Central Kalimantan is even directed to address very local issues, such as the management of customary forest areas. With many villages located in forest areas, the social forestry scheme promoted by the government provides a way for natural resource management to still consider aspects of local wisdom and coordination of customary institutions. Here, cooperatives are not only the driving force of the economy, but also an instrument of village governance that upholds environmental and cultural sustainability.
From an institutional perspective, the local government expressed the hope that the Red and White Cooperative would receive ongoing support from the center, especially in terms of capital, human resource development, and increasing business capacity. This is considered important to ensure that cooperatives are not only established, but also run productively and are able to survive in the long term.
The government’s approach to building village cooperatives is indeed different from the past. Now, cooperatives are not just projects, but are part of the systemnational development that places the village as the main axis. In the long-term vision, this cooperative will become the main distribution channel for subsidized goods from the government and become an instrument for creating added value for local commodities that have not been optimally managed.
The Red and White Cooperative is also projected to be able to absorb village labor directly. With the need for administrators, supervisors, and active members, the cooperative creates a work ecosystem that involves the community at large. The more the cooperative’s business activities develop, the greater the job opportunities and income generated for local residents.
In the context of national development, cooperatives are not only economic institutions, but symbols of the state’s support for the common people. The government believes that from independent villages, national independence will be born. Therefore, all efforts to strengthen the Red and White Cooperative are strategic investments for a more just and prosperous future for Indonesia.
)* The author is a public policy observer
