Minister: Grocery outlets are the most widely operating KDKMP service

Cooperatives Minister Ferry Juliantono has stated that grocery outlets are the most widely operating business unit of the Village/Sub-district Red and White Cooperatives (KDKMP), as they are considered the most ready to run and directly meet the needs of the community. According to him, the operation of grocery outlets is supported by supplies from various cooperative partners, both from state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and the private sector. “Meanwhile, other business units, such as savings and loans, logistics, pharmacies, and clinics, are still being developed in stages according to the readiness of each KDKMP,” Ferry said when contacted by ANTARA from Jakarta on Friday. Ferry said the government is also placing Bulog, ID FOOD, and a number of other SOEs as part of the cooperative supply chain ecosystem for strategic commodities, such as rice, sugar, cooking oil, fertiliser, and LPG. According to him, distribution is still being carried out in stages in line with the operational readiness of each cooperative, including the fulfilment of administrative requirements, warehouse readiness, distribution systems, and partnerships in the regions. In addition, according to Ferry, a number of obstacles still faced include the operationalisation process of outlets not yet being uniform across all regions, adjustments to distribution mechanisms and supply chains from SOEs to cooperatives, and the completion of partnership cooperation and administration.