Zulhas Ensures Funding For The Red And White Kopdes Does Not Use The State Budget

Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan (Photo: Doc. VOI)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli Hasan emphasized that the funding of the Merah Putih village cooperative (Kopdes) does not use the state budget (APBN). He said funding came from loans from the Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara).

Zulhas, as he is familiarly called, explained that Kopdes must have careful planning. Then, Himbara will disburse a loan with a ceiling of IDR 3 billion.

"Later, IDR 3 billion on loans from Himbara. Loans, loan ceilings. But after the business is clear. Don't just take money, no. So it's not the state budget," he said at a press conference, at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs Office, Jakarta, Monday, July 7.

Furthermore, Zulhas said the Red and White Kopdes must have a clear line that is recovered first. So that when capital enters, later you can support cooperatives to grow and develop.

"We form this KoPDes in the right way, we think about its business first, after the business is there, then the financing (enters) will be IDR 3 billion in loans," he explained.

As previously reported, President Prabowo Subianto will launch 80,000 Red and White Villages/kel Village Cooperatives (Kopdes/kel) next week. The plan, the launch activity center will be held in Klaten, Central Java.

The plan to launch the Red and White Kopdes was conveyed by the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan or Zulhas at a press conference at the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs Office, Jakarta, Monday, July 7.

"We are grateful that 80,000 Kopdes and Kelurahan Cooperatives have been formed, the President will launch it, scheduled for July 19. We have decided that the center of activities will be held in Klaten, Central Java, followed by all provinces and districts," said Zulhas.

Currently, continued Zulhas, there are 100 pilot models or national mockups of Kopdes and Kopkel Merah Putih in 38 provinces in Indonesia. Even so, he believes that this number will increase until the end of the year.

"But if we can, each district (mockup) is not perfect, it's okay, because it's perfect later at the end of the year, it will be launched. So the cooperative is at the end of the year, now it's actually launching the formation (Kopdes and Kopkel) but there have been 100 mockups," he explained.