Indonesia pushes village cooperative 'Kopdes Merah Putih' despite early controversies

The government’s national Kopdes Merah Putih programme, intended to create 80,000 village‑level cooperatives to boost rural economies, has drawn criticism. Reports note many cooperative buildings are sited far from residential areas, operational mechanisms remain unclear, and five trainee managers died during a basic military‑style training course.

Despite these issues, officials say the focus is now on professional management. Deputy Minister Farida Farichah announced a target of 40,000 cooperatives operating by the end of 2026 and stressed the rollout of structured managerial training to improve governance and service delivery.