Defence Ministry Cuts SPPI Cooperative Training to Two Weeks After Fatalities

The Ministry of Defence has officially decided to shorten the discipline and leadership training for participants of the Sarjana Penggerak Pembangunan Indonesia (SPPI) programme. The training, intended for the Koperasi Desa/Kelurahan Merah Putih (KDKMP) initiative, has been reduced to just two weeks. This marks a significant departure from the original plan, which scheduled participants for a longer military basic training course similar to that of the Reserve Component. Deputy Minister of Defence Donny Ermawan explained that the concept has been revised into a state defence training programme. “The learning venues, the educational facilities, remain at the 67 TNI educational units, only the duration has changed. This is related to our revision of the programme,” Donny stated after a working meeting with Commission I of the House of Representatives at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Wednesday. Donny revealed that the reduction in duration and the change in training concept were the result of an in-depth evaluation conducted by the Ministry of Defence. The evaluation was prompted by a tragic incident that caused the deaths of five SPPI participants during the previous programme. After completing the two-week state defence training, participants will proceed to a one-month managerial education phase. During this stage, the curriculum will be delivered by the Ministry of Cooperatives and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, tailored to the programme’s focus on village and fishermen’s cooperatives. “The Ministry of Cooperatives has prepared the modules, as has the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries,” Donny added. Deputy Speaker of Commission I of the House of Representatives, Dave Laksono, responded to the programme, noting its significant potential to drive national economic growth at both micro and macro levels. However, Dave emphasised the importance of professional and safe implementation to avoid negative impacts on the government’s image and President Prabowo Subianto’s vision. “We have fully understood and this serves as extraordinary input to perfect this noble programme,” Dave concluded.