Minister of Cooperatives: Integrity and Public Trust are Key to KDKMP

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Minister of Cooperatives, Ferry Juliantlagno, has asserted that integrity and public trust are the primary capital required to implement the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperative (KDKMP) programme, which is one of the government’s strategic initiatives. During an anti-corruption socialisation event held by the Ministry of Cooperatives in Jakarta on Friday, Ferry called upon all Ministry personnel to commit to maintaining integrity by avoiding all forms and practices of corruption to achieve good governance.

According to Ferry, this commitment is increasingly vital as the Ministry is not only overseeing more than 130,000 existing cooperatives but is also preparing approximately 35,000 KDKMP units, which are targeted to begin operations by August 2026. “A mandate and responsibility of this magnitude can only be executed with the capital of public trust,” Ferry stated, as quoted from a press release.

He noted that public trust is the Ministry’s greatest asset. Consequently, all levels of staff have been instructed to maintain integrity in every government programme, particularly the KDKMP, to ensure continued public confidence. Ferry also emphasised that there will be no tolerance for the abuse of authority or any acts of embezzlement within the Ministry of Cooperatives. “Every state budget (APBN) fund disbursed for any programme must be accountable in accordance with applicable regulations,” he added.

He urged all Ministry employees to be able to recognise, avoid, and manage potential deviations, including avoiding conflicts of interest in the performance of their duties. On the same occasion, the Deputy Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Ibnu Basuki Widodo, stated that eradicating corruption cannot rely solely on law enforcement but also requires strengthening education and prevention efforts. He noted that anti-corruption education aims to build integrity and a commitment to avoiding all forms of corrupt practices in daily life.

Based on data from the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperative Information System (Simkopdes) accessed on 31 July 2026, 83,382 KDKMP units have been formed across Indonesia, though not all yet possess outlets, warehouses, or other necessary facilities. Out of 35,855 plots of land verified for cooperative development, 18,935 cooperatives have completed full physical construction, while 16,436 others are still in the construction process.