JAYAPURA – The Papua Provincial Government continues its preparations to welcome the national launch of Koperasi Merah Putih, scheduled for July 12, 2025, coinciding with National Cooperative Day.

Preparations include encouraging districts and cities to promptly inventory existing cooperatives and establish new ones.

Assistant II to the Regional Secretary of Papua, Setiyo Wahyudi, stated that the formation of Koperasi Merah Putih is a national program aimed at establishing 80,000 cooperatives across Indonesia. Papua is expected to participate in the launch.

“We’ve held several online meetings with the districts and cities. We’ve asked them to immediately prepare new cooperatives or revitalize existing ones, so they can be included in the launch on July 12,” Setiyo said.

He mentioned that currently, one cooperative from Keerom Regency has been proposed to be included in the Koperasi Merah Putih scheme and is undergoing legalization. The provincial government continues to encourage other regions to act quickly.

Setiyo revealed that the main obstacle at the moment is initial funding, including notary fees. Based on coordination with the Association of State-Owned Banks (Himbara), it has been agreed that the notary fee for establishing a Koperasi Merah Putih is IDR 2.5 million per cooperative. However, technical guidelines regarding the source of funding are still awaiting directions from the central government.

“We hope it can be discussed at the village level to determine whether village funds can be used. The provincial government only plays a role in providing guidance and direction, while the execution lies with the districts and cities,” he said. ***