Ministry Projects Islamic Boarding School Cooperatives as New Source of Economic Strength

The Ministry of Cooperatives has guaranteed its support for the development of Islamic Boarding School Cooperatives (Kopontren) across Indonesia, projecting they will become a new source of economic strength in the future. Minister of Cooperatives Ferry Juliantono explained that the growth of Kopontren in Indonesia is currently very rapid. As of December 2025, there are approximately 763 Kopontren with a combined business volume of Rp 3.5 trillion and 156,000 members. Some Kopontren even possess assets exceeding Rp 1 trillion. “I believe that in the coming years, the assets and business volume of pesantren cooperatives will be even larger. God willing, pesantren cooperatives will become a new economic force in this country,” Ferry said in a written statement on Saturday. He conveyed this during his address at the 2026 National Gathering of the Indonesian Dakwah Pesantren Council (MPDI) at the Daarul Ukhuwah Islamic Boarding School in Malang. To support this development, Ferry invited the MPDI to engage in strengthening Kopontren networks, including in education, dakwah cadre development, and economic empowerment. “MPDI holds an important position as a collaborative platform. Through its network, MPDI can strengthen the exchange of experiences and cooperation among pesantren cooperatives so that they grow healthier, more professional, and sustainable,” he said. The government is also carrying out cooperative transformation through the Koperasi Desa/Kelurahan Merah Putih (KDKMP) programme. This programme is confirmed to be ready to become the best partner for Kopontren and MSMEs to market their superior products. “Our main priority is products from local MSMEs, especially pesantren. We ensure that pesantren products are prioritised in KDKMP outlets,” he stressed. The Ministry of Cooperatives, together with the Revolving Fund Management Institution (LPDB), is also committed to ensuring Kopontren remain competitive. This support is particularly aimed at the newly launched MPDI secondary cooperative. The existence of this MPDI Secondary Cooperative is believed to support and develop the primary cooperatives under it. “I invite all parties to use this forum as a momentum to strengthen synergy and formulate concrete steps in developing healthy, professional, innovative, and competitive pesantren cooperatives,” Ferry said. MPDI Chairman Ayi Abdul Rosyid affirmed his organisation’s high commitment to making pesantren a central hub for solving economic issues in the community. Therefore, MPDI has just launched a secondary cooperative as a major vehicle for economic development within pesantren. “We hope this cooperative will become a platform connecting the strength of pesantren from Sabang to Merauke with the spirit of ta’awun, mutual cooperation, and economic empowerment of the people,” he said. Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly Hidayat Nur Wahid expressed his support for the initiatives and spirit of MPDI across all regions in Indonesia to support the economic development of the people, particularly through cooperatives. From the regional government side, Deputy Governor of East Java Emil Elestianto Dardak highlighted the importance of the mutual cooperation spirit in building the pesantren economy. According to Emil, the most viable solution for pesantren economic development is Kopontren. “With the MPDI secondary cooperative, there is already a sense of togetherness among its members. Its principle is kinship,” Emil stated. “We are very enthusiastic to see pesantren grow rapidly, and hopefully, East Java will be an important part of driving MPDI’s success,” he added.