Cooperatives Ministry Has Asked Regional Heads To Update Village Cooperative System Data To Accelerate Financing

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Cooperatives (Kemenkop) has requested that regional heads at the provincial, district/city, and village levels optimize their support to ensure the smooth and effective operation of 80,000 Red and White Village/Sub-District Cooperatives (Kopdes/Kel).

The Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperatives (SesKemenkop), Ahmad Zabadi, emphasized that Red and White Village/Sub-District Cooperatives (Kopdes/Kel) are expected to register accounts and update their profiles on the Village Cooperative Information System (Simkopdes), as this system serves as the gateway for Kopdes to access government financing through the State-Owned Enterprises (Himbara) Banks.

"Simkopdes is a mandatory entry point for all village cooperatives to obtain financing support from Himbara banks. Without a Simkopdes account, it is impossible for cooperatives to obtain financing," said Ahmad Zabadi on Wednesday, September 24.

He added that of the total Red and White Village/Sub-District Cooperatives (Kopdes/Kel) established to date, only about half have accounts and have updated their profiles on Simkopdes. For registered village cooperatives (Kopdes), the Secretary of the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs (SesKemenkopdes) expects them to continue updating their data regularly to reflect current conditions to ensure the smooth running of the bank assessment process.

"This Simkopdes (village cooperative registration system) is not just a formality. It serves as a primary filter to ensure that funds disbursed by Himbara (State-Owned Enterprises) actually reach cooperatives that are institutionally and business-ready," he said.

Furthermore, the Simkopdes (village-based cooperative system) will serve as a tool for the government to ensure all transactions between Kopdes/Kelurahan Merah Putih, especially with their partners, are conducted transparently and accountably. With a digital system, transactions will be safer, easier, and validated.

"This is important because to ensure that Kopdes' business processes are transparent and accountable, we are digitally based," he explained.

In addition to financial support, the government has also prepared business assistants to be placed at Kopdes/Kel Merah Putih, each responsible for 10 Kopdes units. Project Management Officers (PMOs) will be assigned to the Cooperatives Office at the district/city level to coordinate and consolidate all Kopdes/Kel Merah business processes in each district/city.