He made the remarks while monitoring a deliberation on special village development in Banyuasin, South Sumatra, on Tuesday.
"President Prabowo Subianto pays special attention to equal development for all," he said in a statement.
According to Sugiarto, the President wants all programs, especially in food, education, economy, and agriculture, to have a direct impact on the community, both in urban and rural areas.
He said that to implement the directive, the government is encouraging the formation of village cooperatives in various regions.
The cooperatives are expected to be a means for collaboration that can strengthen local economic independence, based on the potential and agreement of residents.
For their operations, the cooperatives will be given access to loans with a ceiling of Rp3 billion (around US$184,225) each.
The deputy minister reiterated that the cooperatives must be managed professionally and uphold inclusivity by involving local residents as members.
He said that unity and transparency in management are key for the program's success.
The Red and White Village Cooperatives are envisioned as hubs of economic and social services for village communities, which would provide savings, loans, and clinic services, among other things.
President Prabowo has issued Presidential Instruction Number 9 of 2025 on the Acceleration of the Red and White Village Cooperatives' Formation to expedite the establishment of 80 thousand village cooperatives across the country.
He has also formed a special task force to accelerate the establishment of the cooperatives across Indonesia. The task force is led by Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan.
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Translator: Narda Margaretha, Raka Adji
Editor: Arie Novarina
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