KSP Inspects Bogor's 'Red and White' Village Cooperative, Urges Faster Construction
Presidential Chief of Staff Dudung Abdurachman made an unannounced visit to the Red and White Village Cooperative (KDMP) in Cipenjo Village, Cileungsi, Bogor Regency, West Java, on Thursday (25/6), urging the acceleration of its construction. According to a statement from the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) received in Jakarta on Friday, the inspection aimed to directly review the obstacles stalling the building’s progress, which is currently at 70.22 percent despite being scheduled for full completion.
During the visit, Dudung spoke with the cooperative’s chairperson, Mega, and other board members. It was revealed that the project, originally targeted for completion within three months (by last February), has been halted since March. The stoppage was caused by an internal leadership transition at the local Military District Command (Kodim) and financial constraints related to land-filling costs.
Responding to the bottleneck, Dudung affirmed he would immediately coordinate with the Kodim to resume the construction of this village economic infrastructure. ‘So this is delayed because there was a changeover at the Kodim, so the construction did not continue. The target was only three months, right? I will inform the Dandim to get it finished soon,’ Dudung stated.
Mega further explained the technical challenges on the ground. ‘Previously, we were also hampered by the issue of land-filling. There was a back-and-forth about it. We prepared the land, but the cost for the filling is significant; we need around 30-40 dump trucks. The issue was whether the contractor or the cooperative would bear the cost,’ he revealed.
Mega noted that the stalled physical construction severely limits the cooperative’s operational capacity, despite high community enthusiasm and ready strategic supply chain partnerships. ‘Our hope is that the building can be completed quickly because our current space is very small and limited. We are already running cooperative activities, such as supplying LPG and basic necessities, but we cannot stock goods here because the space is too small. Once the building is finished, we can continue our activities there,’ Mega said.
He explained that despite operating in limited facilities and the board members not yet receiving salaries, the cooperative, which currently has about 150 members, is showing healthy business performance. Mega mentioned that the cooperative successfully supplies subsidised 3-kilogram LPG cylinders to its members at a price below the highest retail price (HET).
Hearing this, Dudung praised the cooperative’s efficiency in cutting distribution channels. ‘That’s great, because you go directly to the source,’ he said. The Cipenjo Red and White Village Cooperative has secured supply commitments from major institutions such as ID Food, Bulog, and Pertamina Patra Niaga. The main logistical hurdle currently faced is the delayed completion of the physical warehouse building. The KSP has committed to overseeing this issue and ensuring that bureaucratic obstacles or field transitions do not sacrifice the economic lifeline of the village community.