This was conveyed by Minister of Cooperatives Budi Arie Setiadi during a meeting with Commission VI of the House of Representatives (DPR) in Jakarta on Wednesday.
He revealed that 29.8 million residents are currently registered as cooperative members.
"This number is still very low, considering our target is to double it, bringing around 60 million Indonesians into cooperatives," he told parliamentarians.
Setiadi emphasized the need to support the 132,000 cooperatives operating in Indonesia and help them attract more members.
"We, at the Ministry of Cooperatives, still have much to do in managing the 132,000 registered cooperatives, which require significant support," he stressed.
To address this issue, his ministry has developed several key strategies, including the digitization of cooperatives and the strengthening of their governance and structure.
He added that the ministry plans to resolve issues related to cooperatives, particularly in response to public complaints about cooperatives offering loans with high interest rates.
"We must address these concerns," he elaborated.
Speaking at length about the third major strategy, Setiadi reaffirmed his team's commitment to increasing the contribution of cooperatives to Indonesia's gross domestic product, which currently stands at just 1.07 percent.
He also expressed his determination to boost cooperative membership as soon as possible, though he did not specify a deadline.
"We are aiming for quick results. I do not think it is necessary to set a specific year, as long as we can double the number from 29.8 million to 60 million," he told lawmakers.
The Ministry of Cooperatives is among the institutions affected by President Prabowo Subianto’s push for budget efficiency.
Setiadi informed the DPR that the ministry’s 2025 budget ceiling had been reduced from Rp473.3 billion (US$29 million) to Rp317.4 billion.
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Translator: Muhammad H, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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