Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto has reaffirmed his commitment to advancing Indonesian cooperatives.

The Indonesian leader has just kicked off a gathering of the Indonesian Regency Government Association (Apkasi) in Tangerang. In his speech, Prabowo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to growing cooperatives, as mandated by Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution.

"Article 33 reminds us that the Indonesian economy must be structured as a joint effort based on the principle of family. This is the foundation of the economic democracy we uphold," Prabowo told the conference.

Cooperatives Minister Budi Arie Setiadi expressed his commitment to carrying out the president’s mandate. The Red and White Cooperatives also become pivotal in these efforts. This is a nationwide program that sees the government setting up over 80,000 cooperatives across Indonesian villages in a bid to simplify the food distribution chain and drive the local economy.

"President Prabowo emphasized that cooperatives have become a path to achieving social justice and prosperity for all Indonesian people. In accordance with the spirit of Article 33, cooperatives will be the driving force of an inclusive and equitable people's economy," Budi Arie said.

Budi said he wanted to see cooperatives present across every corner of the country so it could create a real impact on the people.

"With the Red and White Village Cooperatives, we want to make sure that every village has an economic center that is managed collectively and for the common good," he said.

He invited everyone to back the Red and White Cooperatives initiative. Apkasi’s chair, Bursah Zarnubi, said that the regency-level governments were ready to support the program.

"The synergy between the central government, regional governments, and the cooperative movement will accelerate the achievement of equitable prosperity. With cooperatives, people are not just objects of development, but the main subjects driving the economy," Budi Arie said.