"The collaboration between BUMDes and the Red and White Cooperative must become a grassroots economic force. Through this synergy, we can encourage inclusive, sustainable village economic growth and create jobs," the minister stated at the opening of the National Seminar titled "Optimalisasi Kelembagaan Ekonomi Desa Menuju Masyarakat Berdaya" at the University of Indonesia in Depok, West Java, Thursday.
For a decade, BUMDes operated in more than 60 thousand villages, while the Red and White Cooperative is emerging as a promising new economic driver.
He expressed hope that the collaboration would not only yield cumulative results but also generate exponential performance.
He affirmed that the empowerment-based nature of both institutions enables inclusivity at the grassroots level. Hence, assistance from various stakeholders, such as universities, is necessary.
He affirmed that universities can contribute through training, KKN, research, and capacity building. Meanwhile, the private sector and state-owned enterprises are encouraged to open access to financing and increase standardized financial literacy.
This seminar presents various speakers from the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment, the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions, the Ministry of Cooperatives, Bank Mandiri, BRI, IPB University, the Pertamina Foundation, and village development practitioners.
The event, a collaboration between the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment, the University of Indonesia, and IPB University, is expected to mark an important milestone in positioning villages as centers of sustainable economic growth towards Indonesia Emas 2045.
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Translator: Anita Permata Dewi, Asri Mayang Sari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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