Attorney General’s Involvement Forms Synergy to Make the Red and White Village Cooperative Program a Success

By: Jodi Mahendra

The Red and White Village Cooperative (Kopdes) Program initiated by President Prabowo Subianto is one of the government’s strategic initiatives to strengthen the economic structure at the village level. This program is designed as an integrated and multifunctional center for village economic activities. Through the establishment of cooperatives in 70,000 to 80,000 villages throughout Indonesia, the government hopes to eradicate poverty, open up employment opportunities, and increase the competitiveness of village communities.

Each village cooperative unit will be built with various facilities, such as a cooperative office, basic food outlets, savings and loan services, clinics and pharmacies, storage warehouses, and logistics facilities in the form of trucks. To support its development, the government has allocated a budget of IDR 3-5 billion per cooperative. In addition to providing economic facilities, this cooperative is also tasked with becoming a food distribution chain to support the national Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program. With this concept, the Red and White Kopdes is expected to become a center for independent and inclusive village economic growth.

The highlight in the implementation of this program is the involvement of the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic of Indonesia. Attorney General ST Burhanuddin said that the institution he leads will assist village cooperatives from the beginning of their formation to their operation. This assistance is carried out to prevent potential deviations, budget misappropriation, and to ensure that all funds disbursed by the state are used properly. With the active role of the Attorney General’s Office, the government is trying to build public trust and create transparent and accountable program governance.
The Attorney General also emphasized the importance of synergy between law enforcement and national development. Legal assistance provided by the Attorney General’s Office is not just supervision, but also educational and preventive. The Attorney General’s Office will provide legal guidance, socialization, and advocacy to village cooperative managers so that they can understand applicable regulations and avoid actions that could lead to legal problems. This is a new approach in the national development system where law enforcement officers are not only judges, but also development partners.
Meanwhile, Minister of Cooperatives Budi Arie Setiadi said that his party requested supervision, legal assistance, and risk mitigation for the Red and White Cooperative. According to him, cooperation from the AGO is important because the program involves all villages in Indonesia. On the other hand, the success of this program does not only depend on the law enforcement aspect, but also on the synergy between government institutions.
To that end, the government has formed a special task force (Satgas) consisting of a number of ministries and institutions, such as the Coordinating Ministry for Food, the Ministry of State Secretariat, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the Ministry of BUMN, the Ministry of Cooperatives, and the National Nutrition Agency.
In terms of financing, the government is collaborating with the Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara) to support cooperative funding through a banking syndication mechanism. State-owned banks such as BRI, BNI, BTN, and Mandiri will provide credit facilities that can be used by village cooperatives to develop their businesses. With banking support, it is hoped that village cooperatives will not only rely on grant funds from the government, but can also grow independently by accessing safe and sustainable formal financing sources.
No less important is the role of local governments in making this program a success. Several regional heads, such as East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, have expressed their full commitment to supporting the implementation of Kopdes Merah Putih. The Provincial and Regency/City Governments will play a role in facilitating socialization, coaching, and supervision at the local level. With the active involvement of local governments, the implementation process of this program can be adjusted to the needs and potential of each village.