Two Villages in NTT to Have Merah Putih Village Cooperatives Built, But with Conditions

Plans to build Merah Putih Village Cooperatives in East Flores Regency, Nusa Tenggara Timur, are still awaiting confirmation of land status in areas previously affected by inter-community conflicts. The government is open to proceeding with the project, but the primary condition is that the land must be legally unproblematic.

Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperatives Ahmad Zabadi stated that there is still potential for construction in the two villages, Waiburak and Narasaosina. However, an important requirement must be met to realise the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives.

“Will they be built in both villages? Presumably yes. But of course, they will be built on land whose status is clear and clean,” Zabadi said at the Ministry of Cooperatives office on Wednesday (25/3/2026).

Physical construction of the cooperatives has not yet been planned because the land status does not meet the government’s requirements.

“Because there is no clear and clean land available yet, to date, physical buildings, outlets, and warehouses for the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives have not been constructed in these two villages,” Zabadi explained.

Regulations regarding land use have been established since the programme’s inception and serve as the primary guideline for implementation in the regions.

“This has been emphasised from the beginning; in the circular from the previous Minister of Cooperatives, it was also stated that regarding the land to be used for outlets and warehouses of the Merah Putih Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives, the status must be clean and clear first,” Zabadi said.

Nationally, the construction of Merah Putih Village Cooperatives continues, with the number of units entering the construction phase reaching tens of thousands.

“As of now, we have around 30-32 thousand that are in the construction process out of more than 83 thousand Merah Putih Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives established across Indonesia,” he added.

The government prioritises legality as the main condition before proceeding with construction to avoid sparking new conflicts.

“Because the status is clean and clear, it certainly must not be in a disputed condition; if it’s in dispute, construction of outlets or warehouses for Merah Putih Village/Urban Ward Cooperatives must not proceed on it,” Zabadi stated.