Deputy Minister of Cooperatives, Farida Farichah, stated that the village cooperative information system will ensure that transactions, membership, and business planning are centrally recorded, thereby simplifying supervision and business consolidation.
"We want the Red and White Village Cooperatives to be modern cooperatives that are transparent and accountable from the very first day of operation," she said at the National Leadership Meeting of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) here on Monday.
She explained that the Red and White Village Cooperative Management Information System (Simkopdes) has been used to record cooperative institutions and activities, as well as to directly monitor business development.
According to her, the established 82 thousand Red and White Village Cooperatives will require strong human resources and governance support to ensure that all of their outlets operate optimally and consistently.
To support the village cooperatives' operations, the Indonesian government has deployed 8,000 business assistants, with each of them tasked with assisting 10 village cooperatives.
In addition, 1,104 project management officers at the provincial, district, and city levels have also been prepared.
Farichah further said that digitalization is part of efforts to boost the participation of the younger generation, which is currently dominating the village cooperatives' membership in various regions.
The Red and White Village Cooperatives are envisaged as hubs of economic and social services in village communities, offering savings, loans, and clinic services, among others.
The government initiated the Red and White Village Cooperatives program with several objectives, including empowering village residents, creating jobs, making essential key commodities and services more accessible, and alleviating extreme poverty.
This aligns with the Asta Cita mission of President Prabowo Subianto's administration, namely, driving development from the village level for economic equity and poverty eradication.
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Translator: Aria Ananda, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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