Sudaryono: Cooperatives Are Not Small Businesses, But Economic Giants

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Geridra Party Central Java, Sudaryono, said that cooperatives are not just small businesses. It is the economic giant embryo that must continue to grow.

This was conveyed by Sudaryono who is also the Executive Director of the Garudayaksa Nusantara Cooperative (KGNmen) when he was a speaker at the Sarasehan Mobilizing the Indonesian BMT Association Cooperative in Bandungan, Semarang Regency, Central Java, Tuesday, July 16.

Therefore, the candidate for Governor of Central Java who is also a former personal assistant to the elected president Prabowo Subianto will encourage the government to pay more attention to cooperatives.

"This cooperative is from us, by us, for us, so we, including Pak Prabowo, are very pro to cooperatives. Cooperatives don't just need to be fostered, improved. But there really is partiality. We understand the role of the state is very large in the Indonesian economy," said Sudaryono.

Sudaryono said that so far cooperatives have been considered small because they take care of micro, small and medium enterprises. In fact, in developed countries, such as Japan and Switzerland, cooperatives have grown up to become business entities that take care of large-scale businesses.

"I don't agree with cooperatives being linked to micro, small businesses. So it's okay to have reduced cooperatives. Many cooperatives have assets of up to trillions. Including BMT Indonesia, I think the assets are already large. Not to mention BMT at the Sidogiri Islamic Boarding School," said Sudaryono.

According to Sudaryono, who is also the General Chair of the All-Indonesian Market Traders Association (APPSI), there are actually many large business opportunities that cooperatives can work on. Provided, the state is present by showing partiality to cooperatives.

"I think there are many good opportunities for export-import trade, business in the field of resource processing concessions, for example. I think if given the opportunity many cooperatives can afford it. After all, the assets are large, just looking for experts for specific business activities," explained Sudaryono.

"I really support cooperatives to be big with the government's way of providing business activities that are usually owned by corporations, cooperatives must also have," added Sudaryono.

However, the weaknesses of cooperatives are in financial management that cannot be audited. Sudaryono encouraged cooperatives to improve themselves by immediately cooperating with the Financial Services Authority in managing public funds.

"Why can't the state raise a cooperative because its financial statements are not audited which makes it get trust," explained Sudaryono.

This was conveyed by Sudaryono after receiving a complaint from the Indonesian BMT Association about the role of the government which was considered less in favor of the cooperative movement.

Because, although cooperatives are claimed to be the driving force for the national economy, the existence of these business entities so far is still not getting the attention of the Government.

"We hope that the elected President, Pak Prabowo Subianto, can encourage the Cooperative Law which does not kill cooperatives. But how to answer the nation's problems in the future become pillars of development," said Chairman of the Indonesian BMT Association, Mursida Rambe.

According to Mursida, the government from year to year is still half-hearted in raising cooperatives. Mursida hopes that during President Prabowo's time, cooperatives will get a more role in boosting the country's economy.

"We are not anti-capitalists, but, we want the government to be balanced in favor, we hope that cooperatives will not only serve as lip service, but really as a driving force for the country's economy," explained Mursida.