Ministries and SOEs Swarm into Red and White Village Cooperatives, Here's the List
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Cooperatives Minister Ferry Juliantono has begun integrating the Red and White Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives programme with various ministries and agencies. This includes incorporating products from women’s groups, health services, and worker protections into the village cooperatives’ ecosystem.
This was marked by the signing of cooperation agreements between the Ministry of Cooperatives and the Ministry of Population and Family Development/National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN), the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), BPJS Employment, the Government Investment Centre (PIP), the National Standardization Agency (BSN), and the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government.
“Alhamdulillah, today at the Ministry of Cooperatives office, we carried out the signing and cooperation activities between various ministries and agencies, as well as state-owned enterprises,” said Ferry during a press conference at his office in Jakarta on Monday (11/5/2026).
Ferry explained that this cross-ministry/agency cooperation aims to strengthen the operations of the Red and White Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives while connecting government programmes directly to villages.
“The main point is that this cooperation is to optimise existing activities, both in the Ministry of Population and Family Development and in the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection, so that we can link their units’ activities with the transformation of existing groups, women’s groups, supervised groups in the Ministry of Population into cooperative business entities or vice versa,” he stated.
He said that products from women’s groups will also be sold through the outlets of the Red and White Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives.
“Products produced by activities of women’s groups within the scope of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection can also be maximised in their production results and sold at the Red and White Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives,” he added.
Not only serving as a village economic centre, the Red and White Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives will also function as community service points. Ferry mentioned that one of the cooperative business units will be a medicine outlet and health clinic.
“Because one of the activities will be a medicine outlet and health clinic, this can become an outlet for products from the Ministry of Population and Family Development activities, including becoming an additional service unit for women’s interests and child empowerment,” he explained.
In the cooperation, the Ministry of Cooperatives is also partnering with BPJS Employment so that workers involved in the Red and White Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives receive employment social protection.
Additionally, the National Standardization Agency (BSN) will assist in standardising cooperative products, while the Government Investment Centre (PIP) is prepared to help finance business groups through microfinance schemes.
“So that the products from the Red and White Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives can obtain good standardisation, and the workers involved directly or indirectly in the Red and White Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives can receive protection from BPJS Employment,” said Ferry.
Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Arifah Fauzi stated that her ministry has advocated from the start for women to be included in the management structure of the Red and White Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives.
“One of the things we advocate is that the management element of the Red and White Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives must include women,” said Arifah on the same occasion.
She added that in several cooperatives that are already operational, women have proven more progressive in developing cooperative businesses.
“And even in some cooperatives I have visited, it is the women who are more progressive,” she remarked.
Meanwhile, BPJS Employment President Director Saiful Hidayat revealed that the cooperation with the Ministry of Cooperatives opens up significant potential for adding new participants from the cooperatives’ ecosystem.
“Indeed, looking at the potential, it is quite large,” said Saiful.
He noted that there are currently nearly 142,000 cooperatives in Indonesia, but only around 9,000 are participants in BPJS Employment. On the other hand, the Red and White Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives programme is targeted to reach around 81,000 cooperatives.
“Whereas the Red and White Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives is planned to reach around 81,000, already starting with over 800, around 844 or so (potential members),” he said.
Saiful explained that BPJS protection will not only be given to cooperative managers but also to workers and cooperative members who have work activities.
“So definitely managers, workers, and cooperative members who have work activities. That is what we hope will receive employment protection,” he concluded.