President Prabowo Subianto reiterates that the 80,081 Merah Putih Village Cooperatives aim to enhance people’s welfare across Indonesia, emphasizing that the program is not for the benefit of a select few. During the official launch of the initiative in Bentangan Village, Klaten, he stressed the importance of strict monitoring by all stakeholders to prevent any potential abuse, pointing out the need to avoid past mistakes such as the ‘Chairman Profits First’ mentality associated with KUD cooperatives from the New Order era.
The President highlighted the technological and transparent foundation of the new cooperative system, ensuring real-time monitoring and auditability of all financial transactions. With advancements in technology, the flow of funds within the cooperatives will be closely supervised through digital platforms, marking the end of the era where personal gains took precedence over community welfare.
Moreover, President Prabowo emphasized that the Merah Putih Cooperatives are owned by the people, urging village heads to actively oversee the cooperatives to ensure they serve their intended purpose of benefiting the community. He called upon village leaders to monitor the cooperative chairpersons closely, highlighting their critical role in maintaining accountability and ethical conduct.
Using a traditional metaphor to illustrate the strength of unity, the President emphasized the cooperative’s potential to unite individuals for a common economic goal, transforming a weak entity into a powerful force. He expressed confidence that this cooperative movement would rejuvenate Indonesia’s rural economy and address the historical imbalance of resource centralization.
President Prabowo envisions a significant shift in economic dynamics, redirecting funds from urban centers to the regions and villages, fostering economic growth at the grassroots level. By promoting mutual cooperation and local empowerment, he believes that the wheels of Indonesia’s economy will now turn within the villages, districts, and regencies, paving the way for widespread development and prosperity.
