Deputy Minister Of Cooperatives Farida Affirms The Important Role Of The University Of Strengthening Cooperatives
Deputy Minister of Cooperatives Farida Farichah emphasized the importance of the role of universities and alumni in strengthening cooperatives as the main pillars of defense and regional economic progress, including in eastern Indonesia such as Ambon.
Farida said that Unpatti Ambon alumni are expected to be involved in strengthening cooperatives, including in business model research, digitizing management, developing product branding, as well as opening global market access for cooperatives.
According to Farida, this collaboration is very much needed in developing cooperative programs, especially the Village/Kelurahan Cooperative (Kopdes/Kel) Merah Putih.
"This cooperation not only drives joint efforts, but also creates jobs and strengthens the village economy," he said as quoted by ANTARA, November 3.
He explained that the hexa-helix approach involving the government, academics, business actors, the community, the media, and the community has pushed the growth of the Red and White Kopdes to more than 82,000 units with a total member reaching 1.15 million people.
The government, he continued, invites all parties to take collective actions.
Local governments are asked to provide facilitation and regulatory incentives, academics conduct research and evaluation, business actors partner fairly, and alumni and the community join forces to strengthen cooperatives.
"The cooperative, as taught by Bung Hatta, is an institution that humanizes humans and prioritizes collective welfare above individual interests," he said.
With the strengthening of institutions, digitization, and cross-sectoral collaboration, said Farida, cooperatives are expected to rise to become pillars of a sovereign, inclusive, and just national economy.
However, cooperative travel in Indonesia has not been completely smooth, especially post-reformation and economic deregulation which had made cooperatives lose traction compared to large corporations and the private sector.
SEE ALSO:
Data hingga 2024 mencatat terdapat lebih dari 131.000koperasi di Indonesia dengan jumlah anggota mencapai 27 juta orang.
Volume usaha koperasi tercatat sebesar Rp214 triliun dengan total aset mencapai Rp281 triliun.
“Meskipun angka ini belum terlalu besar, tren peningkatannya menunjukkan potensi besar koperasi jika didukung kebijakan yang tepat, teknologi digital, dan kelembagaan yang kuat,” kata Farida.
SEE ALSO:
Data until 2024 recorded that there were more than 131,000 cooperatives in Indonesia with 27 million members.
The cooperative's business volume was recorded at IDR 214 trillion with total assets reaching IDR 281 trillion.
"Although this figure is not too big, the trend of increasing it shows the great potential of cooperatives if they are supported by appropriate policies, digital technology, and strong institutions," said Farida.