Prabowo Inaugurates 1,061 Merah Putih Village Cooperatives, Calling it a Historic Milestone
President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated the operational launch of 1,061 Merah Putih Village Cooperatives in East Java and Central Java, in a ceremony held at the Merah Putih Village Cooperative in Nglawak Village, Kertosono District, Nganjuk Regency, East Java, on Saturday, 16 May 2026.
This initiative is part of the government’s efforts to strengthen village-based economies through the development of productive and integrated cooperatives.
The 1,061 cooperatives that have commenced operations consist of 530 units in East Java, spread across seven regencies, and 531 units in Central Java, spread across eight regencies/cities.
The operationalization of these cooperatives is expected to drive local economic growth and strengthen national food security at the village level.
President Prabowo first conducted a tour of the facilities at the Merah Putih Village Cooperative in Nglawak Village, accompanied by relevant ministers. During the tour, the President observed the operational readiness of the cooperative, including its food distribution system, agricultural produce management, and infrastructure support for community empowerment.
Following the tour, the inauguration ceremony began with the singing of the Indonesian national anthem, followed by a joint prayer. The atmosphere was solemn, with the attendance of ministers from the Merah Putih Cabinet, members of the TNI-Polri (National Armed Forces and National Police), regional heads, and cooperative leaders from various regions.
Minister of Coordinating Economic Affairs Zulkifli Hasan stated in his report that this inauguration is not merely about inaugurating physical buildings, but about providing an instrument for economic justice for rural communities in Indonesia.
According to Zulhas, the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives represent the implementation of a constitutional economy, where the state is present to ensure that the people are the primary actors and beneficiaries of development.
“This is the embodiment of a constitutional economy. The state is present not for a select few, but to ensure that the people are the primary actors and beneficiaries of development. That is always the President’s direction to us,” said Coordinating Minister Zulhas.
President Prabowo affirmed that the inauguration of the 1,061 cooperatives is a historic milestone for Indonesia. The President believes that this initiative is an important achievement because it is the first time that the government has been able to inaugurate thousands of cooperatives that are physically complete and ready to operate in a relatively short period of time.