Social Assistance Beneficiary Families Encouraged to Join Merah Putih Village Cooperative
The Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Cooperatives have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to empower recipients of social assistance through the Merah Putih Village/Urban Cooperative. This collaboration encourages Keluarga Penerima Manfaat (KPM), or beneficiary families, to join and actively participate in the Merah Putih Village Cooperative (Kopdes).
The beneficiaries are KPM who have previously received social assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs through the Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH) and the Bantuan Pangan Sembako food assistance programme. Through this empowerment programme, they are encouraged to move up from being recipients of assistance to becoming productive entrepreneurs within the village cooperative ecosystem.
Minister of Social Affairs, Saifullah Yusuf (Gus Ipul), affirmed that strengthening village cooperatives will be one of the main pathways for empowerment.
“All KPM, approximately 18 million, who receive social assistance from the Ministry of Social Affairs, will be encouraged to become members of the Merah Putih Village Cooperative,” said Gus Ipul in a written statement on Tuesday (24 February 2026).
In addition to the signing of the MoU, the Ministry of Social Affairs also handed over 67 complete chicken coops, each containing chickens ready to lay eggs. Each coop contains 24 chickens, along with feed and vitamins to support the sustainability of the business.
The signing of the MoU took place at the Merah Putih Village Cooperative in Desa Renjang, Ciruas District, Serang Regency, on Tuesday (24 February).
Meanwhile, Minister of Cooperatives, Ferry Juliantono, stated that there are currently eight village cooperatives in Serang Regency that have been established and are starting to operate.
Minister of Villages and Underdeveloped Regions, Yandri Susanto, views this collaboration as a strategic partnership. The strengthening of village cooperatives is supported by improved management of Village Funds, which does not reduce the funds but rather directs their management to be more productive through cooperative institutions.
He added that the assets of the Kopdes can ultimately become assets of the village, and a portion of the proceeds can strengthen village income.
Head of BP Taskin, Budiman Sudjatmiko, said that various government programmes are now moving in unison, from food and education programmes to village cooperatives and economic empowerment. He stated that BP Taskin will collaborate with relevant ministries/agencies to accelerate efforts to alleviate poverty.
Through this MoU, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Cooperatives aim to create a more measurable empowerment chain, with social assistance remaining as a safety net, while village cooperatives serve as a ladder for economic independence for residents.
For information, the event was attended by Gus Ipul, Ferry Juliantono, Yandri Susanto, Deputy Minister of Cooperatives Farida Farichah, Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Agus Jabo Priyono, Head of BP Taskin Budiman Sudjatmiko, and Regent of Serang Ratu Rachmatuzakiyah.
(anl/ega)