Jakarta – The government continues to strengthen the role of villages as new centers of economic growth through the Red and White Village/Sub-district Cooperative (Kopdes) program. This initiative aims not only to strengthen village economic independence but also to create large-scale job opportunities for local communities.
Minister of Cooperatives (Menkop) Ferry Juliantono confirmed that the recruitment process for the Red and White Village Cooperatives (Kopdes Merah Putih) will prioritize local villagers. He believes this approach is crucial to ensuring that the economic benefits of cooperatives reach the grassroots community.
“Later, we’ll also have some from the village. We’ll involve the existing village cooperative administrators. They’ll be given the opportunity to become employees at the Merah Putih Village Cooperative,” said Ferry.
He added that, in addition to cooperative administrators and village communities, the government is also providing opportunities for social assistance recipients, particularly those from the Family Hope Program (PKH), to become involved in the workforce. This measure is seen as a strategy to promote economic independence for vulnerable groups.
“Beneficiaries can also help by becoming employees, working as cashiers, security guards, drivers, and so on. Ultimately, we will involve the village community,” he said.
Ferry emphasized that the recruitment process for technical positions such as cashiers, drivers, and other support staff will be carried out directly by each village, thus being more adaptive to local needs while strengthening community participation.
Meanwhile, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya revealed that the government is currently conducting a national recruitment process for 30,000 manager positions for the Red and White Village Cooperatives (Kopdes Merah Putih). This process, which will run from April 15 to 24, 2026, aims to develop human resources capable of managing cooperatives professionally.
“The recruitment aims to select managers who will manage the village cooperative unit who will later lead other cooperative employees who come from village residents who are members of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative,” said Teddy.
He explained that successful applicants will undergo approximately two months of managerial and cooperative training before officially assuming their duties. These managers will work under cross-ministerial and institutional coordination, particularly with the Ministry of Cooperatives.
This program is expected to accelerate the village economy and reduce dependence on intermediaries in distributing community products. With its inclusive, community-based scheme, Kopdes Merah Putih is projected to become a new driving force in creating jobs and strengthening the foundations of the village economy in Indonesia.
