Story of KKMP Siswodipuran in Boyolali: No Building and Struggling

The Chairman of the Merah Putih Ward Cooperative (KKMP) Siswodipuran in Boyolali Regency, Central Java, Edi Muhamad Ismail, revealed that since commencing operations in September 2025, the cooperative under his leadership has yet to acquire a building or supporting facilities. All operational activities of the KKMP are currently hosted at the Siswodipuran Ward Office. Edi stated that, to his knowledge, there are three KKMPs in Boyolali that still lack buildings to date. One of the reasons is that the ward authorities do not possess communal land that can be used to construct KKMP buildings. “We are still squeezed into one room at the Siswodipuran Ward Office, which measures only 3x4 square metres,” Edi explained after attending the Regional Coordination Meeting of the Indonesian Cooperative Council (Dekopinwil) for Central Java at Wisma Perdamaian in Semarang City on Tuesday (14/4/2026). According to Edi, there are several buildings owned by the Boyolali Regency Government that are currently unused. He admitted to having submitted a request for the KKMP Siswodipuran to occupy one of those buildings. However, those efforts have yet to yield results. “Even borrowing one is not easy. We submitted the letter last November, but there has been no response from the Regent to this day,” Edi said. Edi once hoped that the KKMP Siswodipuran building could be constructed by the TNI or the Kodim 0724/Boyolali. “But that has not happened to this day either,” he remarked. He explained that the current operational capital for KKMP Siswodipuran still relies on primary savings and mandatory contributions from its 63 members. The primary savings are set at Rp100,000, while the mandatory contribution is Rp10,000 per month. Edi mentioned that one of the businesses run by KKMP Siswodipuran is selling basic necessities or groceries. The KKMP also collaborates with Bank Jateng for the Laku Pandai programme. Additionally, KKMP Siswodipuran partners with the Samsat office to provide motor vehicle tax payment services. “We also have a reservoir from the Agriculture Department that was abandoned; we repaired it and turned it into a fishing spot. Alhamdulillah, little by little, it can generate income,” Edi said.