Manokwari (ANTARA) - The central government intends to carry out periodic evaluations of Red and White Village Cooperatives (KMPs) to ensure their performance remains optimal, according to Deputy Minister of Cooperatives, Ferry Juliantono.

“It is important to evaluate the cooperatives every six months or annually, so that we can track the growth of their business activities,” he expounded in Manokwari district, West Papua, on Saturday.

He said that the Ministry of Cooperatives is also planning to organize training and coaching activities to improve the financial literacy and managerial skills of cooperative members before they begin full operations.

“Mr. President (Prabowo Subianto) has set the target to initiate the operations of all KMPs by October 2025,” he noted.

According to Juliantono, the ministry will collaborate with regional government institutions, regional development banks, and state-run banks to execute the cooperative capacity-building plan.

“Collaboration with regional governments and banking institutions is required to produce high-quality cooperative human resources,” he said.

The deputy minister then highlighted that the training initiative will be tailored to the strengths and potential of each region hosting the cooperatives.

In this regard, he noted that the KMP task force has listed business models available for the cooperatives, including those focused on savings and loans, basic necessities, and logistics.

He added that these cooperatives may also offer fertilizers, distribute subsidized gas and fuel, absorb unhusked rice production, rent out tractors, distribute government assistance, and trade local commodities.

“The business models we have identified will be adopted by the cooperatives according to the potential of their host regions,” he informed.

He also pointed to the benefits offered by the KMP program, noting that the presence of village cooperatives would help reduce unemployment, strengthen goods distribution systems, and enable access to low-interest savings and loan services.

He emphasized that the development of such cooperatives reflects the government’s commitment to empowering rural residents, so that they can make a greater contribution to regional and national economies.

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