This was conveyed by Deputy Minister of Cooperatives Ferry Juliantono during his visit to Manokwari, West Papua, on Saturday.
"Accurate village data will serve as the foundation for cooperatives to develop work programs, including those aimed at poverty reduction, job creation, and the delivery of essential services," he said.
The government has selected 10 pilot villages in Manokwari to begin building accurate village databases, with support from experts and academics to carry out the data collection.
The Manokwari district government is targeting the establishment of 173 village cooperatives by the end of July 2025.
Juliantono emphasized that village cooperatives should not only function as economic entities but also serve as centers for community services and learning forums to promote social justice.
He added that regional leaders and cooperative managers can use accurate village data to design more targeted poverty and unemployment reduction programs, and make better decisions based on the real needs of the local community.
"For instance, if a cooperative wants to become a distributor of fertilizer or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), it must have accurate data on the number of farmers, the area of rice fields, and the number of households using LPG canisters," he explained.
The government has also confirmed that the Revolving Fund Management Institution (LPDB), regional development banks, and the Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara) will fully support the development of village cooperatives in West Papua.
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Translator: Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak
Editor: Anton Santoso
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