Gibran: Village Cooperatives Must Not Compete with Village-Owned Enterprises
Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka has ordered that the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives (Kopdes) must not compete with other business units in the village. He stated that Kopdes should become an integral part of the village economy, rather than a competitor to business actors that have already established themselves.
According to Gibran, the existence of Kopdes must be carefully designed. “It must not compete with BUMDes (village-owned enterprises) or with the local residents’ grocery stores. Ensure that this becomes an ecosystem that complements one another,” he said, as quoted from a written statement.
The son of former President Joko Widodo delivered his message during a dialogue with residents of Niowula Village, Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, on Thursday, 18 June 2026. Gibran is currently conducting a working visit to eastern Indonesia, accompanied by five university students to witness his visit.
Gibran noted that the determination of cooperative locations needs to be carefully studied by involving the community. The goal is to prevent any negative impacts or disadvantages to the businesses of residents near the locations.
The Vice President stated that determining the location of KDMP must consider various aspects, including the impact on schools, BUMDes, and small business owners in the vicinity. “We must ensure that these students are not disturbed in their teaching and learning processes. Once the new locations are determined, and following discussions with residents, construction should proceed immediately,” said the former Mayor of Solo.
Gibran stated that the participatory approach to the development of Kopdes aligns with the directives of President Prabowo Subianto. Specifically, this is to ensure that the implementation of the government’s priority programmes benefits the community without creating new issues at the local level.
He emphasised that local governments, village officials, and all stakeholders serve as extensions of the central government in ensuring that priority programmes run optimally. “We want to ensure that the President’s programmes run well, especially in remote areas such as this,” Gibran remarked.
During his working visit to NTT, Gorontalo, and Papua from 18-21 June 2026, Gibran brought five students from various universities: Daffa Ulhaq from the University of Indonesia, Keletus Sakaro from Sanata Dharma University, Nolan Christopher Adam from Pelita Harapan University, Salsabila Maulida from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, and Rapid Bena Martin from Jenderal Soedirman University.
Gibran said the involvement of students is part of an effort to strengthen oversight regarding the implementation of the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) programme and the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives in the regions. This step, he said, is a follow-up to various aspirations expressed by students regarding the implementation of the government’s priority programmes.
The involvement of students comes amidst a strengthening wave of student demonstrations criticising several government programmes, such as the free nutritious meal and the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives.
One such instance occurred when a student alliance from various campuses held a demonstration at Bundaran HI, Jakarta, on Friday, 12 June 2026. They presented at least five demands to President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, including the cessation of the MBG programme and the development of the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives.