 |
| West Kalimantan Governor Ria Norsan delivers speech at the Merah Putih Cooperative Program Socialization in Pontianak. |
President Prabowo Subianto officially launched the Merah Putih Village/Urban Cooperatives on July 19, 2025, as a strategic move to strengthen the village economy. In West Kalimantan, 2,143 cooperatives have been successfully established on time out of 2,145 villages and urban wards across 14 districts/cities, making the province one of the first to achieve a 100% completion rate.
West Kalimantan Governor Ria Norsan, during the opening of the Merah Putih Cooperative Program Socialization at the Governor’s Pavilion on Wednesday (Aug 6, 2025), stated that these cooperatives are expected to modernize food distribution and turn villages into local food hubs. "Through these cooperatives, we aim to cut the supply chain and empower villages as food barns," he said.
Norsan admitted that many village heads were initially reluctant to manage these cooperatives due to concerns over financial responsibility. However, he assured that the central government will provide support. “Each cooperative will receive at least two facilitators—one for cooperative management and one for financial management—so there’s nothing to worry about,” he explained.
House of Representatives Commission V member Yuliansyah added that the cooperatives will collaborate with food resilience programs, community health pharmacies, and savings and loans initiatives. "This is part of President Prabowo's Astacita vision, and we’re committed to supporting it across West Kalimantan," he said. The strong synergy between regional governments and national legislators is expected to make the Merah Putih Cooperatives a key driver of rural prosperity.