Deputy Minister Of Cooperatives Calls Islamic Boarding School Cooperatives A Motorbike For People's Economy

Deputy Minister of Cooperatives Farida Farichah said the cooperative of Islamic boarding schools or copontren has great potential to become a driving force for the people's economy as well as a center for sustainable cooperative-based economic empowerment.

When visiting the Matholi Islamic Boarding School, El Anwar, Lamongan, East Java, Friday, Farida explained that the government's Village/Redi Putih Cooperative program can be synergized with existing cooperatives, including corporates.

This synergy is needed so that the component can become an internship for the management of the Red and White Village Cooperative so that the operation runs well.

"Currently we are starting the 500 Cooperatives of Merah Putih Village to active and healthy cooperatives, including three pesantren cooperatives, one of which is the Sunan Drajat Islamic Boarding School Cooperative in Lamongan," Farida said, quoting Antara.

Farida added that the establishment of 80,000 units of the Red and White Village Cooperative made the Ministry of Cooperatives even greater in providing assistance. Therefore, collaboration with various parties, including the component, is very necessary.

Farida explained that in reality Islamic boarding schools have the ability to consolidate and make cooperatives empowered so that they can provide benefits for Islamic boarding schools and the surrounding community.

The Deputy Minister of Cooperatives emphasized that Islamic boarding schools are not only da'wah and educational institutions, but also have the responsibility to prepare students with an entrepreneurial spirit.

"Today's students are not only required to preach in the pulpit, but must also be able to become entrepreneurs who create jobs," he said.

The Ministry of Cooperatives is committed to continuing to assist Islamic boarding schools in strengthening cooperatives, increasing the professionalism of human resources, and developing Islamic boarding schools independently.

Farida also emphasized that the economic potential of pesantren is very large through the network of students, alumni, business units, and the position of pesantren in the community.

He hopes that the consolidation of copontren with the Merah Putih Village/Sub-District Cooperative can be held soon and have a positive impact on the community, including the handling program of 500 Village/Redih Village Cooperatives to active and healthy cooperatives, including copontren.

Lamongan Regent Yuhronur Efendi said his area is one of the districts with the largest number of students in East Java.

He also reported that Lamongan now has 474 Red and White Village Cooperatives or the most in East Java. Of that number, 96 cooperatives operate actively in 21 sub-districts.

With the copontren and the Red and White Village/Kelurahan Cooperative in Lamongan, Yuhronur hopes that the synergy between the two can run optimally, especially in accelerating poverty alleviation and economic driving of the coastal coastal communities of Pantura.