The Merah Putih Village Cooperatives (Kopdes Merah Putih) are part of President Prabowo Subianto’s Asta Cita vision, which aims to achieve true independence through economic self-reliance and equitable development. According to Fithra Faisal, a Senior Expert at the Presidential Communication Office (PCO) in Jakarta, the President’s programs align with the Asta Cita by focusing on building economic equity and eradicating poverty from the grassroots level. During the launch of over 80,000 Kopdes Merah Putih cooperatives in Bentangan Village, President Prabowo emphasized that true independence goes beyond national symbols and must be seen in the well-being of the people. The President highlighted that cooperatives are a collective effort to improve the quality of life for all individuals.
Kopdes Merah Putih is designed to drive inclusive economic growth and empower communities from the ground up. The cooperatives embody the philosophy of development as freedom, inspired by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, which aims to remove “unfreedoms” like poverty and hunger, while expanding human capabilities. Fithra explained that this approach allows communities to actively participate in the development process and makes it inclusive and liberating. By providing storage facilities and logistics support, the cooperatives help farmers and fishers preserve their produce, enhance its value, and reduce dependency on middlemen, thus improving efficiency and increasing income.
Moreover, Kopdes Merah Putih is expected to create new job opportunities in rural areas, preventing youth migration to urban centers. Each cooperative can potentially create direct jobs for managers and supervisors, contributing to approximately 480,000 job opportunities across Indonesia. Fithra believes that through these cooperatives, young people can build a prosperous future in their villages, fostering economic growth and development at the local level.
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