“Red and White Village Co-ops are revitalizing village economies that are currently stagnant. They bring new hope, showing that the state and government are present so that village economies can become a new economic strength,” he said here on Tuesday.
He made the remarks during a forum titled “One Year of Community Empowerment: The First Steps in National Transformation.”
The Red and White Co-ops program is part of the government’s efforts to rebuild a people-centered economy rooted in mutual cooperation and to strengthen national food sovereignty.
The government aims to have about 80 thousand Red and White co-ops fully operational by March 2026.
Iskandar explained that village cooperatives are not competitors but symbolize a collective and equitable pathway to empowerment.
He also praised regional leaders who have sought to protect local economies through regional regulations.
“Appreciation goes to district heads who have enacted local regulations to curb the dominance of large retail chains,” he said.
The minister outlined that community economic empowerment has become a new paradigm in national development.
According to him, the government no longer relies on social assistance as the main tool for poverty alleviation but instead promotes change through multisector collaboration and strengthening community capacity.
“Empowerment is not a short-term project. It is a long journey toward national self-reliance. Village cooperatives will serve as the backbone of rural economies,” he said.
Under this new empowerment perspective, he added, social assistance recipients in the future are expected to be limited to two groups: the elderly and persons with disabilities.
“With this approach, one day social assistance will only serve the elderly and the disabled. People from all other layers of society will grow independently, become productive and innovative, and contribute to a thriving economy,” Iskandar said.
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Translator: Anita, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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