Minister Clarifies After 'Merah Putih' Cooperative in Melawai Goes Viral for Only Earning Rp78,000 Profit

Minister of Cooperatives (Menkop) Ferry Juliantono has finally spoken out regarding viral information on social media about the Merah Putih Melawai Cooperative in South Jakarta, which reportedly only made a net profit of Rp78,000 over six months of operation. According to Ferry, this cooperative has different characteristics because it was established independently and does not yet use the business model being prepared by the government. Ferry made this statement during a working meeting with Commission VI of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, 15 July 2026. He explained that the Merah Putih Melawai Cooperative is not the model of cooperative that has been the focus of the Ministry of Cooperatives’ development efforts. Ferry explained that the Ministry of Cooperatives has so far prioritised the development of Merah Putih Village Cooperatives, which have a different concept from cooperatives in urban areas. He noted that the development of village cooperatives has been supported by the construction of warehouses, outlets, equipment, and other operational facilities tailored to the available land area. Meanwhile, this concept has not yet been applied to Merah Putih Sub-district Cooperatives in large cities like Jakarta. Ferry admitted that the government does not yet have a specific business model or feasibility study for cooperatives operating in urban areas.