Minister of Cooperatives Officially Opens KDKMP Manager Training
The Ministry of Cooperatives (Kemenkop) has officially commenced a training and certification programme for prospective managers of the Merah Putih Village/Neighbourhood Cooperatives (Koperasi Desa/Kelurahan Merah Putih, KDKMP) simultaneously across Indonesia.
The opening of this training marks a concrete step by the government to prepare outstanding human resources who will manage the new economic ecosystem at village level.
The opening ceremony was centred at the Artillery Education Centre (Pusdik Armed) in Cimahi, West Java, on Thursday (16/7), and was officially opened by the Minister of Cooperatives, Ferry Juliantono. This training is the second stage, after participants previously underwent character building and state defence education facilitated by the Ministry of Defence.
“This training is not merely about enhancing technical competence, but about preparing the front line to carry out the mandate of Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution through the Merah Putih Village/Neighbourhood Cooperatives,” said Ferry in a statement on Friday (17/7).
Ferry emphasised that this training forms part of the wider process of developing KDKMP human resources. After completing the managerial competence strengthening stage, participants will proceed to the third stage, namely competency certification. Through these three stages, the government ensures every KDKMP manager possesses the character, competence and professionalism required to run a cooperative.
“This is a historic task. The Merah Putih Village/Neighbourhood Cooperative is a state movement that must be continually safeguarded because its aims are noble,” he asserted.
According to Ferry, the success of KDKMP also lies in the hands of the prospective managers who serve as the operational spearhead in the field.
“What we are pioneering today must be carried forward. Along the way there will certainly be challenges and obstacles, but the great purpose of this struggle must be able to overcome all such challenges. Therefore, do not give up easily and remain focused on the great mission of building the village economy through cooperatives,” he said.
He added that, in addition to equipping participants with the spirit of state defence, discipline, cooperative governance and financial management, the government is also strengthening soft skills, particularly communication, leadership and the ability to collaborate with boards, supervisors and village communities.
“We want KDKMP managers to be not only technically capable, but also able to build good communication, lead teams and interact with village communities. These soft skills will be highly decisive to the successful operationalisation of the Merah Putih Village/Neighbourhood Cooperatives,” said Ferry.
Furthermore, he stressed that managers graduating from this training must meet high standards of professionalism, as KDKMP will hold a strategic role as the manager of subsidised goods distribution, a provider of microfinancial services and an aggregator for local SME products.
“We want to produce managers who are accountable, professional and adaptable. The success of operationalising cooperatives in villages depends heavily on the managerial competence you learn during this training,” he added.
Meanwhile, Deputy for Talent Development and Cooperative Competitiveness at Kemenkop, Destry Anna Sari, explained that this competence strengthening programme involves tens of thousands of participants spread across 15 training commands, six educational units and 451 classes throughout Indonesia.
Over 13 days, from 17 to 31 July 2026, the prospective managers will undergo intensive training comprising 90 lesson hours covering cooperative governance, financial management, digitalisation, entrepreneurship, soft skills and leadership strengthening. “In addition, the use of Talent DNA to reinforce the integrity, leadership and readiness of the managers to manage KDKMP professionally,” explained Destry.
Destry added that the training will conclude with a competency certification test accredited by the National Professional Certification Agency (BNSP).
Separately, the founder of ESQ Group, Ary Ginanjar Agustian, stressed the importance of talent management for the 30,000 Indonesian Development Driving Graduates (Sarjana Penggerak Pembangunan Indonesia, SPPI) being prepared to become KDKMP managers. Managing this potential is regarded as the key to building the foundations of a people-centred economy.
“This talent management process will shape the prospective KDKMP managers through three crucial stages: building the ability to know oneself, understanding one’s own potential, and recognising one’s strengths in managing their working environment at the village or neighbourhood level,” he said.