Deputy Minister of Cooperatives urges Agrinas to strengthen public communication on Kopdes Merah Putih
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Cooperatives (Wamenkop) Farida Farichah has urged PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara, which is responsible for the physical development of Village/Urban Village Cooperatives (Kopdes) Merah Putih, to strengthen public communication regarding this priority programme.
The Deputy Minister visited PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara (Persero) in Jakarta on Wednesday and requested the company’s President Director, Joao Angelo De Sousa Mota, to enhance coordination and shared narratives.
“We must communicate more intensively to avoid any misleading information in the public sphere,” Farida stated, as quoted from a press release by the Ministry of Cooperatives.
According to her, effective public communication is necessary to respond to the high public enthusiasm for Kopdes Merah Putih, which offers solutions such as competitive prices, beneficial schemes for farmers, and productive loans with low interest rates.
Farida reminded that the public communication conveyed should be consistent and aligned.
“Do not let there be inconsistent public communication that goes viral negatively. Even if not many, if left unchecked, it could escalate and harm our noble objectives,” she said.
On the same occasion, Joao emphasised that Kopdes Merah Putih must serve as a hub for strengthening the local economy.
In addition to providing retail goods, subsidised products, and needs for MSMEs, this cooperative will also act as an off-taker for authentic village products.
“Later, Torasera will play a role as a distribution controller connecting village products to other regions, both at the provincial level and internationally,” Joao said.
Furthermore, he revealed that they will utilise lokapasar to reach global consumers more effectively.
“The presence of Kopdes Merah Putih must become the main foundation in strengthening the local economy,” he stressed.
Previously, the public highlighted Agrinas’s step to import 105,000 units of trucks and 4x4 pick-ups from India to support the operations of Kopdes Merah Putih. This policy drew criticism as it was deemed potentially to weaken the competitiveness of the national automotive industry.
However, Agrinas President Director Joao in Jakarta on Tuesday (31/3) clarified that the import option was chosen because the specifications for the 4x4 pick-up vehicles are not yet produced in Indonesia.
The procurement worth Rp24.66 trillion includes 35,000 units of 4x4 pick-ups from Mahindra Ltd, as well as 70,000 units from Tata Motors (consisting of 35,000 units of 4x4 pick-ups and 35,000 units of six-wheeled trucks).