Mendes Ensures The Establishment Of Kopdes Is Not A Requirement For Disbursement Of Village Funds

JAKARTA - Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions Yandri Susanto ensured that the establishment of the Merah Putih village cooperative (kopdes) was not a requirement for disbursement of village funds.

Yandri emphasized that the Village Fund will still be disbursed even though the Red and White Kopdes business is not yet running.

"Still (will disburse the Village Fund). Stay focused on the village funds," he said when met at the Coordinating Ministry for Food, Tuesday, August 5.

Yandri also denied that village funds would not be disbursed if the Red and White Kopdes did not run. He said the details of the role of the Village Fund in the Red and White Kopdes would be contained in the Regulation of the Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions.

"Oh no, no, no. How will you wait for the final. So I have submitted a draft of the Permendes to the Minister of Law to carry out harmonization. Later, maybe not within a long time I will convey the finalization of the Permendes," he said.

On the other hand, Yandri also emphasized that village funds are not a loan guarantee for the Red and White Kopdes. Later, he said, the guarantee would be in the form of goods.

Furthermore, Yandri also said that the funds or loans that will be disbursed will also be channeled directly to the supplier of goods or businesses from the Kopdes.

"For example, borrowing capital for gas or basic necessities, so that will make it a guarantee to the bank. For example, if he borrowed Rp. 100 million for LPG, Rp. 100 million did not go directly to Kopdes to Patra Niaga which distributed gas. So Kopdes did not receive the money, but he received the goods," he said.

"Including fertilizer, for example, he needs fertilizer of Rp. 50 million, Rp. 50 million does not go to Kopdes but Rp. 50 million is directly given to Pupuk Indonesia. Later Kopdes will receive fertilizer," he continued.

Dengan skema itu, kata dia, maka Kopdes tidak menerima uang dari pinjaman yang diajukan, tetapi langsung barang yang akan menjadi bisnisnya. Menurut dia, dengan skema ini Kopdes tidak akan rugi.

“Jadi sebenarnya Kopdes tidak terima duit langsung dari Bank Himbara, terima barang, kemudian mereka akan dapat untung dari situ. Inti pokoknya sebenarnya tidak mungkin rugi. Tapi kalau rugi, tentu harus ada antisipasinya. Itu yang sedang kami usulkan dalam Permendesnya,” kata Yandri.

With that scheme, he said, Kopdes did not receive money from the proposed loan, but directly the goods that would become his business. According to him, with this scheme the Kopdes will not lose.

"So actually Kopdes does not receive money directly from Himbara Bank, accepts goods, then they will be able to make a profit from it. The point is that it is actually impossible to lose. But if you lose, of course there must be anticipation. That's what we are proposing in the Permendes," said Yandri.