President Prabowo Guarantees Subsidised Goods at Correct Prices Through 40,000 Merah Putih Cooperatives
President Prabowo Subianto has given an assurance that all goods receiving government subsidies will be received by the public at the appropriate prices. The President made this statement at the opening of the 35th Nahdlatul Ulama Congress at Bahrul Ulum Tambakberas Islamic Boarding School in Jombang Regency, East Java, on Thursday evening (27/8).
The President stressed that subsidised goods are the right of the people and must not be misused by certain parties for personal gain. To strengthen oversight and distribution, the government will rely on the role of tens of thousands of cooperatives at the grassroots level.
The mechanism for distributing subsidised goods will be strengthened through the operation of Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperatives. The President is optimistic that the existence of these cooperatives can cut inefficient distribution chains so that the benefits of subsidies are truly felt by the public.
“Soon tens of thousands of Merah Putih Cooperatives will be operational. We will guarantee that all goods subsidised for the people will reach the people at the lowest possible subsidised price,” said President Prabowo, as monitored through the Presidential Secretariat’s online broadcast.
In addition to discussing the issue of subsidies, the Head of State also highlighted the major challenges currently facing Indonesia, ranging from its geographical condition as an archipelagic nation to the impact of extreme weather due to the strong El Nino phenomenon.
Nevertheless, President Prabowo expressed his confidence that Indonesia has sufficient resilience. He revealed that the government has identified new, very large natural resource potential to support the national economy.
“Our country is strong and getting stronger. I have seen our results now. We have found gas fields, extraordinary gold fields — our wealth is remarkable,” he added.
The Ministry of Cooperatives is currently accelerating the construction of supporting facilities so that the target of 40,000 cooperatives can be achieved on time by the end of 2026, to ensure that economic sovereignty at the village level can be realised immediately.