Presiden Prabowo Subianto is set to launch the Merah Putih Village Cooperative in Bentangan, Wonosari, Klaten, on July 21, 2025. Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs, Zulkifli Hasan, recently inspected the preparations at the site. “InshaAllah, on the 21st, the President will launch the village and district cooperatives here,” Zulhas stated during his visit to the Merah Putih Village Cooperative on Sunday, July 13, 2025. “I’ve already informed the President during our meeting in Brazil that Central Java is ready; he can launch it anytime,” he added.
Zulhas emphasized that the Merah Putih Cooperative and the Urban Cooperative are direct initiatives from President Prabowo Subianto and that this priority program cannot afford to fail. “I reported that the Merah Putih Village or Urban Cooperatives are implemented as per the President’s direction. We cannot let these cooperatives fail; if they do, people will lose trust in cooperatives altogether,” he expressed.
The launch date has been postponed to July 21 from the original date of July 19 to coincide with a weekday. “Holding it on a weekday allows for all the regents and village heads to attend without excuses. It’s just more convenient on a working day,” he explained.
Zulhas noted that approximately 83,000 village heads are expected to attend the launch, with around 8,000 coming directly from Klaten. “At least 83,000 village heads from across Indonesia will join. We also anticipate 80,000 members from the village boards, 514 regents, and 38 governors. For Central Java alone, we expect 8,000 village heads, plus about 10,000 other invitations,” he detailed.
Currently, there are 80,000 Merah Putih Cooperatives across Indonesia scheduled for launch. Zulhas mentioned that 78,000 are already established and ready for the event. “We’re launching 80,000 cooperatives, with 78,000 prepared for tomorrow,” he said.
Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi highlighted that the province has 8,523 legally registered Merah Putih Cooperatives. “All cooperatives in Central Java are fully legalized, making us the first province to achieve 100% compliance,” he noted during his visit to the Merah Putih Cooperative headquarters on July 13.
The former Chief of Central Java Police remarked that the Merah Putih Cooperatives empower villages. To ensure this, his team will take on supervisory roles. “This initiative will strengthen our villages as part of the President’s policies. The regents, mayors, and including the governor will act as supervisors to oversee the task force,” he elaborated.
He expressed complete readiness to host the launch of the Merah Putih Cooperative, including security and event preparations. “On Friday, July 18, we’ll have a rehearsal, followed by a dry run on Saturday, and a final clean rehearsal on Sunday to ensure everything is perfect for Monday’s launch. We’ll have nearly 9,000 personnel involved, including VVIP officials,” he concluded.
