Prabowo: Indonesian Cooperative Movement Will Rise as an Economic Power

President Prabowo Subianto attended the peak celebration of the 79th National Cooperative Day (Harkopnas) at the Indonesia Arena, Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, on Sunday. The Head of State affirmed the government’s strong commitment to overhauling the national economic structure by strengthening the economic foundation from the grassroots level. Prabowo called for a total revival of the cooperative movement as the main engine of the economy, deeply rooted in villages, sub-districts, and regencies. He likened cooperatives to a broomstick, capable of uniting every small element of society into a giant, solid, and independent economic force. “Cooperatives are the tool of the weak. But, like a broomstick, one stick is weak, but if they join together, that is strength, ladies and gentlemen. Do not worry, the Indonesian cooperative movement will rise to become Indonesia’s economic strength! An economic strength that will not take money away from Indonesia,” President Prabowo said. The President was accompanied by several state dignitaries, including the Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly Ahmad Muzani, the Chairman of the Regional Representative Council Sultan Bachtiar Najamudin, and ministers and deputy ministers of the Red and White Cabinet. Meanwhile, Minister of Cooperatives Ferry Juliantono stated that under President Prabowo’s leadership, the cooperative movement in Indonesia has now revived. Cooperatives are now positioned as an ideological pillar to drive the economy from the village level to strategic national sectors. As a concrete implementation of the mandate of Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution, the government has introduced the Red and White Village/Sub-district Cooperative (KDKMP) programme. To date, 83,000 KDKMP legal entity deeds have been completed. The revival of cooperatives is also reflected in the expansion of their strategic operational scope granted by the government. Cooperatives are now permitted to enter heavy industry sectors, such as managing people’s oil wells (idle wells), mineral mines, and establishing Crude Palm Oil (CPO) factories. In August 2026, the Ministry of Cooperatives is ready to inaugurate a CPO factory owned by KUD Sejahtera in Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatra, as well as a 0.5-1 MW Solar Power Plant on Galang Baru Island, Riau Islands. Additionally, this year Indonesia will soon have a new Cooperatives Law to replace Law Number 25 of 1992, providing a solid legal umbrella for the national cooperative movement. The General Chairman of the Indonesian Cooperative Council (DEKOPIN), Bambang Haryadi, assessed this turning point as a sacred momentum after nearly three decades of the cooperative movement receiving inadequate attention. The series of 79th Harkopnas celebrations throughout July included a kick-off on 2 July, a pilgrimage to the grave of the Father of Indonesian Cooperatives, Bung Hatta, in Tanah Kusir, South Jakarta, on 10 July, a fun run and bazaar on 19 July, and a revitalisation project for the historic cooperative monument in Tasikmalaya as a cultural heritage site. The entire series will close on 29 July in Jakarta with the Cooperative Award event.