Kopdes can drive rural employment, prosperity: Vice minister

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice Minister of Villages and Disadvantaged Regions (Wamendes PDT) Ahmad Riza Patria stated that the presence of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (Kopdes) can increase employment opportunities in villages.

"With the existence of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative, job opportunities and productivity will increase," the vice minister, also nicknamed Ariza, stated as quoted from a statement received in Jakarta on Thursday.

He then highlighted that this increase in employment opportunities would ultimately drive economic growth and bring prosperity to villagers.

"In the end, economic growth will follow, bringing prosperity to all people in Indonesia, especially in villages and urban areas," he affirmed.

He made these remarks at the Launch and Dialogue on the Acceleration of the Establishment of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative in Maluku Province in Ambon on Wednesday (June 18).

On the same occasion, Ariza also emphasized that the principle behind Kopdes, as envisioned by President Prabowo Subianto, is to accelerate national development through village development.

Ariza further explained that expediting village development can be achieved through the economic sector, with the Merah Putih Village/Urban Cooperative serving as the economic foundation.

Earlier, the former deputy governor of DKI Jakarta reminded all those involved in running Kopdes to ensure that it becomes a driving force for welfare in villages.

He noted that for Kopdes to drive welfare in villages, its management must prioritize profitability.

"Hence, for a cooperative to be sustainable, it must be profitable. If it is profitable, income must exceed expenses," Ariza stated.

He also remarked that Kopdes and the Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) in villages should collaborate to ensure the improvement of local community welfare.

He explained that the existence of Kopdes and BUMDes in a village does not mean these two entities should compete, but instead, the managers should collaborate and empower all the resources available in the village to improve welfare.

"There are BUMDes, but we still need cooperatives. There is no need to shut down BUMDes but collaborate and strengthen what is in the village. This way, the Village Cooperative becomes part of the efforts to improve people's welfare. All village products will be marketed in the region or abroad through the Merah Putih Village/Urban Cooperative," he concluded.