NGANJUK - President Prabowo Subianto claims that the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program and the Red and White Village/Subdistrict Cooperative will be a new engine for village economic circulation. This was conveyed when he inaugurated the operationalization of 1,061 cooperatives in Tingul Village, Nganjuk, East Java, Saturday, May 16, 2026.
According to Prabowo, one village can receive more than Rp10 billion in cash per year from the MBG program.
"Every day there is Rp45 million circulating in the village. In a year, more than Rp10 billion," said Prabowo.
He explained that the money would immediately stimulate the economy of village residents. Starting from vegetable farmers, chicken farmers, egg sellers, tempe makers, to catfish farmers.
"Those who plant red onions can sell, those who make tempeh can buy, those who sell live eggs," he said.
Prabowo said that village cooperatives would strengthen the economic impact because villages have warehouses, logistics vehicles, cheap credit services, to the distribution of fertilizers and basic foodstuffs.
According to the President, so far, a lot of people's money has been sucked out of the region, even out of the country, because the distribution and trading system is controlled by large capital.
"If the free market is neo-liberal, the people's money ends up abroad," said Prabowo.
He said the combination of MBG and village cooperatives would strengthen the local economy while cutting logistics costs. "The market is in the village itself," he said.
Prabowo emphasized that cooperatives are not just a place to store loans. The government wants cooperatives to become a center for village economic activities, including the distribution of assistance, cheap credit, and the absorption of farmers' harvest.
In his speech, Prabowo also emphasized that the government would take action against officials who misused the MBG program.
"Whoever violates and abuses their authority, we will clean them up," he said.
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