Prabowo Orders Full Support for 'Merah Putih' Cooperatives Nationwide

President Prabowo Subianto has affirmed the government's commitment to accelerating the strengthening of village, sub-district, and fishermens' cooperatives, collectively known as 'Merah Putih' cooperatives, positioning them as strategic government infrastructure and drivers of community economy. This was conveyed by Prabowo during a limited meeting with several ministers of the 'Merah Putih' Cabinet at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday (July 23, 2026). The meeting lasted for approximately three and a half hours. Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas), stated that Prabowo instructed all ministries and government agencies to provide full support for the development of the 'Merah Putih' cooperatives. This support also involves the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the National Police (Polri) to ensure optimal program implementation across all regions. "The President ensured that the village, sub-district, and fishermens' 'Merah Putih' cooperatives must be supported by all ministries, agencies, and also by the TNI and Polri to succeed as government infrastructure and as off-takers," Zulhas told reporters after the meeting at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Thursday (July 23, 2026). According to him, Prabowo designated the 'Merah Putih' cooperatives as the central distribution point for various government programs. All subsidized goods and government assistance will be channeled through these cooperatives, aiming for more integrated and targeted distribution. Besides discussing the strengthening of cooperative institutions, the meeting also addressed the readiness for the first installment payment of Agrinas Pangan to the State-Owned Banks Association (Himbara), which is due in September. The government is currently accelerating the verification and validation process to ensure all requirements are met by August. "We are also working hard to report that all requirements will be completed this August, so that the first installment for the village and sub-district 'Merah Putih' cooperatives can be paid to Himbara before September," Zulhas explained. During the meeting, Prabowo also ordered all government ranks to ensure that all preparations are completed so that the benefits of the 'Merah Putih' cooperatives can be immediately felt by the public. "Preparations to ensure this can run well and successfully, so we hope that after October, everything regarding village cooperatives will be clear, transparent, and its benefits will be felt by the Indonesian people," Zulhas stated.