"The government has designed a cooperatives digitalization concept to boost the quality of cooperatives. During our current pandemic, cooperatives need to stay productive and creative," Hartarto noted in his statement on Wednesday.
In addition to the digitalization scheme, Hartarto highlighted that the government’s National Economic Recovery (PEN) program includes stimulus aid of Rp1 trillion for 63 cooperatives in the first semester of 2020 and Rp292 billion for 37 cooperatives in the second semester of 2020.
The government has also modernized cooperatives through Good Cooperative Governance (GCG) in its efforts to boost their competitiveness to make them adaptable to change.
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The National Mid-term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2020-2024 is also targeting to develop 500 cooperative units. According to data of the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises in December 2020, Indonesia had around 127,124 active cooperatives, with membership of 25 million people, an increase from 2019.
The government has also established the Job Creation Law on 2020 and Government Regulation No. 7 of 2021 aimed at facilitating business development and boosting their competitiveness in the market.
The coordinating minister drew attention to cooperatives that are capable of competing in the international market, such as Kisel, Semen Gresik Residents' Cooperatives, and Kospin Jasa. With this, he called to harbor a mindset that cooperatives can operate not just on a small scale but also on a larger scale.
"This mindset is important to nurture our cooperatives entrepreneurs’ spirits and enthusiasm, especially for Indonesian youth that are currently in the process of building their own cooperatives. We are optimistic that cooperatives would play an important part in the nation's economy," Hartarto expounded.
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Translator: Kuntum Riswan, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Suharto
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