President Prabowo Subianto’s vision of Asta Cita includes the establishment of Merah Putih Village Cooperatives (Kopdes Merah Putih) as a means to achieve true independence through economic self-reliance and fair development. This initiative aims to empower communities from the grassroots level upwards, in line with the philosophy of development as freedom advocated by Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. By focusing on inclusive economic growth and removing obstacles such as poverty and lack of political agency, the cooperatives play a crucial role in promoting participation in the development process and improving quality of life, particularly for farmers and fishers.
The Kopdes Merah Putih program provides storage warehouses, cold storage facilities, and logistics support to address challenges faced by farmers and fishers, such as low exchange values for their products due to immediate selling at harvest time. By enabling the preservation of produce and reducing dependency on middlemen, the cooperatives aim to increase value and income, as well as enhance efficiency in production. Additionally, the initiative is expected to create new rural jobs and curb youth migration to urban areas, potentially generating around 480,000 direct job opportunities across Indonesia through the employment of three managers and three supervisors in each cooperative.
President Prabowo emphasizes that true independence goes beyond national symbols and must be reflected in the well-being of the people. By promoting the formation of Kopdes Merah Putih cooperatives, the government aims to foster economic equity and eradicate poverty, paving the way for a more inclusive and liberating development process. Through these cooperatives, young people are encouraged to build a future in their own villages, nurturing local economies and creating new opportunities for growth.
