Prabowo optimistic cooperative revival will become Indonesia's economic strength

President Prabowo Subianto is optimistic that the Indonesian cooperative movement will rise and become one of the main strengths of the national economy through the strengthening of a people’s economy that begins from the village. In his speech at the peak of the 79th National Cooperative Day commemoration at Indonesia Arena, Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta, on Sunday, President Prabowo said cooperatives would become an important instrument to ensure that economic turnover provides direct benefits to the community. “The Indonesian cooperative movement will rise to become an economic strength for Indonesia, an economic strength that will not take money out of Indonesia,” said President Prabowo. President Prabowo stated that the government wants to build an economic system that ensures prosperity is felt by farmers, fishermen, and labourers. According to him, strengthening cooperatives will allow economic activity to grow from villages, sub-districts, to regencies so that the benefits can be directly enjoyed by local communities. He assessed that so far, a portion of the wealth generated by the people has not fully returned to the community. Therefore, the government is striving to strengthen cooperatives so that the benefits of economic development are increasingly felt at the grassroots level. Nevertheless, President Prabowo stressed that strengthening cooperatives does not mean the government is ignoring the role of other economic actors. According to him, Indonesia needs all economic elements to drive national growth. “I remind you, we are not anti-large corporations. Because Indonesia is a big country, we need cooperatives, we need MSMEs, we need the private sector, we need state-owned enterprises, and regionally-owned enterprises. We need them all,” he explained. The Head of State explained that all economic actors must strengthen each other as part of the Indonesia Incorporated concept, which prioritises synergy between cooperatives, micro, small, and medium enterprises, private companies, state-owned enterprises, and regionally-owned enterprises. He also mentioned that cooperatives are one of the pillars of the national economy, as envisioned by the nation’s founders. Therefore, strengthening cooperatives must go hand in hand with strengthening other economic sectors. “If we strengthen cooperatives, it does not mean we will weaken the others, no. We strengthen everything. Ladies and gentlemen, Indonesia is rich, Indonesia will rise and Indonesia will be able to strengthen all forces in this Republic,” he concluded.