Minister Teten Affirms The Need For Mental Revolution To Increase The Image Of Cooperatives

Menkop UKM Teten Masduki (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs (MenKopUKM) Teten Masduki emphasized the need for a mental revolution to improve the image of cooperatives, so that they are increasingly trusted by the public in the country. With a mental revolution, it is hoped that bad perceptions about cooperatives can be changed.

"The mental revolution must have a real impact on its change. In fact, it can produce prosperity in building the people's economy. Building a business does not have to be large capital or conglomerates, but how can it develop with small capital. This way of thinking must be revolutionized," he said in a written statement, quoted Monday, July 24.

He said cooperatives were not just business entities or joint businesses, but through cooperatives, ideas about togetherness, mutual cooperation, kinship, the value of social solidarity, and cooperation were able to strengthen the people's economy.

"The cooperative is here as an instrument to carry out a mental revolution through teaching or education to the public, in order to have social awareness, want to build a good and just social system," said Teten.

According to Teten, building a mental revolution for cooperatives in Indonesia is very important. This is because the image of the cooperative has decreased among the community today

"The image of cooperatives if they do not move in the marginal sector, there is also a subsistent economy only to meet household needs, then cooperatives fail to pay whose cooperative management robs members' money, until online loan moneylenders are under the guise of cooperatives with high interest rates, we can change all of this perception for the better with a mental revolution," he said.

Not only that, Teten also highlighted the Savings and Loans Cooperative (KSP) which according to him needed to make improvements in its implementation. The presence of KSP is still very much needed by the unbankable community or micro borrowers even though the interest is high.

"On average, the interest in the cooperative is above the bank interest. This must also be changed. The cooperative's identity should provide cheap loans. That's for the small people," he said.

"Seharusnya dengan bunga yang murah, anggota komerasi yang memiliki usaha mikro bisa meminjam dan usahanya lebih kompetisi," pungkasnya.