JAKARTA – The Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT), Yandri Susanto, stated that the implementation of the Merah Putih Village/Urban Village Cooperatives (Kopdes/Kel) across Indonesia is being continuously accelerated. Among the key efforts is ensuring the availability of land for cooperative offices in both villages and urban districts to ensure immediate operations. The target spans the entire country, without being limited to specific regions.

Once the land is secured, the next phase involves preparing office buildings designed for long-term use. Consequently, these structures will serve as long-term assets that generate profits to support the improvement of community welfare.

"We may need to find a solution regarding this land issue. It is not just the responsibility of local governments, but the central government must also take charge," Minister Yandri explained during a Limited Coordination Meeting evaluating the development and human resource capacity building of the Merah Putih Cooperatives at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs in Jakarta, Wednesday (Feb 18, 2026).

These solutions will soon be outlined in regulations issued by the relevant ministries. This step is expected to fast-track the realization of the Merah Putih Cooperatives, focusing not only on physical infrastructure but also on human resources as key actors through various training programs.

This training will be provided by collaborating Ministries and Agencies. By leveraging technological advancements and strengthening communication to bolster collaboration, every cooperative across Indonesia will work in synergy.

This synergy includes fulfilling daily community needs as well as improving the quality of products and services offered by the cooperatives. This approach aims to ensure that growth is not limited to quantity, but also extends to a broader market reach.

"We will train everyone. We hope these 81,000 cooperatives will be interconnected. There will be a correlation, ensuring all cooperatives are in sync," stated the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan.

The meeting was attended by various Ministries and Agencies (K/L) related to cooperatives, including the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions, the Ministry of Cooperatives, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance, PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara, among others. This collaboration is also being carried out alongside local governments at the provincial, regency, and city levels.