SEMARANG – The Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Mendes PDT), Yandri Susanto, witnessed a declaration of support from the Indonesian Association of Village Government Apparatuses (PAPDESI). The event also featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDesa), the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (KDMP), and the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit (SPPG) in Bergas Kidul Village.

PAPDESI, led by General Chairperson Wargiyati, officially declared its full endorsement of President Prabowo Subianto's flagship priority initiatives: the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program and the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (KDMP).

"The MBG and Merah Putih Village Cooperative initiatives are primary priority programs of the President, and the vast majority of their operational locations are situated right in our villages," Minister Yandri stated at the Bergas Kidul Village Field, Semarang, on Saturday (June 27, 2026).

Consequently, Minister Yandri called upon Village Heads, Village Consultative Bodies (BPD), and Village Apparatuses to work together to ensure the success of these two core initiatives.

Regarding the KDMP, Minister Yandri explicitly stated that if any village cooperative is found failing to employ local residents, the public should immediately report the issue to his office or the Ministry.

"It is absolutely mandatory for the KDMP to employ local workers from the village, alongside fulfilling other institutional obligations," Minister Yandri emphasized.

Therefore, he added, today's synergy in Bergas Kidul formalized a collaborative framework between the KDMP, the MBG program, and local BUMDesa through an MoU to guarantee optimal execution on the ground.

Should operational hurdles or challenges arise in the future, the solution must focus on reviewing and strengthening program governance to maximize efficiency, rather than halting the initiatives altogether.

"President Prabowo holds a deep commitment to our villages, as explicitly demonstrated in the 6th Asta Cita (Aspiration), which outlines building from the village and from the bottom-up for economic equality and poverty eradication," Minister Yandri added.

Minister Yandri further elaborated that a joint collaboration with the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) will soon launch a program establishing 40,000 freshwater aquaculture sites.

Additionally, partnering with the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry runs the Export Village initiative, which currently connects rural commodities to 59 international destination countries.

Furthermore, the Ministry's Thematic Village program is being heavily integrated to act as the primary supplier of raw materials for the MBG program.

Previously, the General Chairperson of PAPDESI, Wargiyati, explicitly voiced the association's total commitment to executing the MBG and KDMP initiatives.

"We fully support the execution of the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, which has delivered immense benefits to the public in realizing our 'Golden Indonesia 2045' national vision. The MBG program deeply assists rural residents, absorbs local workforces as volunteers, and serves as a major catalyst for the formation of thematic villages to secure local supply chains and accelerate the rural economy," Wargiyati declared.

She added that the MBG program effectively meets the nutritional demands of vulnerable rural groups and school children who require adequate dietary intake, including citizens living in Disadvantaged, Frontier, and Outermost (3T) regions.

PAPDESI also voiced its absolute endorsement of the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperative (KDKMP) program to act as an economic locomotive for villages, creating job vacancies, boosting household income, and eradicating poverty.

"The establishment of the KDKMP has and will continue to supply affordable, basic staples to rural communities while serving as the primary supplier for SPPG needs in close cooperation with BUMDes," Wargiyati concluded.

The high-profile event was also attended by the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan, Deputy Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Didit Herdiawan, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Cooperatives Ahmad Zabadi, Director General of Domestic Trade at the Ministry of Trade Iqbal Shoffan, Governor of Central Java Ahmad Lutfi, and the Regent of Semarang Ngesti Nugraha.

Accompanying Minister Yandri from the Ministry were the Director General of Village Economic Development and Investment (PEID) Tabrani and the Head of BPSDM Agustomi Masik.

Photo: Andri/Kemendes PDT 
Text: Firman/Kemendes PDT