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Menkop Jawab Polemik Kopdes Merah Putih: Lokasi hingga Gaji Manajer | FILONOMICS

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Overview

This video is an economic/policy podcast episode where the Minister of Cooperatives, Feri Juliantono, responds to public controversy and viral complaints about the Kopdes (Koperasi Desa) “Merah Putih”—particularly concerns about:

  • Construction locations (e.g., on mountains, near cliffs, or near cemeteries)
  • Procurement issues
  • Whether the program can run effectively

1) Responding to viral criticism about construction locations

  • The minister says the “not ideal” locations affect less than ~10% of the targeted 30,000 physical units.
  • He argues the site selection process was determined through village deliberation, involving the village head, because many villages have limited land availability.
  • He acknowledges inputs from affected regions (including allegations that some sites were near cemeteries), but emphasizes:
    • These are not widespread failures
    • Local deliberation remains the basis for decisions

2) Project status: cooperative formation + physical construction progress

Cooperative business entity formation

  • The minister reports that the cooperative entity deed is largely completed, referencing a target of ~80,000 (IDR target mentioned in the episode for deed formation).
  • He states that most villages/sub-districts already have the cooperative entity.

Physical construction progress

  • For physical construction, he states (figures vary by reference in the subtitles):
    • 21,000 of 40,000? / 21,000 of 30,000 are 100% complete
    • 13,900 units are under construction
  • He claims the facilities are planned to be ready for operations after validation/handover.
  • He also notes expectations that:
    • The President will inaugurate in September/October
    • As of Aug 14, there was hope that 30,000 physical buildings would be completed and ready to operate

3) Why TNI involvement and contractor roles are used (Agrinas)

  • Physical construction is assigned to PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara.
  • The minister explains that TNI involvement is intended to improve efficiency and timeliness.
  • He clarifies roles:
    • Agrinas handles physical construction and equipment readiness (utilities and support equipment).
    • Cooperatives/villages receive ownership after verification & validation and handover report procedures.
  • He emphasizes the Ministry of Cooperatives cannot manage everything directly due to institutional capacity limits, so Agrinas’s role is necessary.

4) Land-use controversy (LP2B/food cropland) and legal “fatwa”

  • The minister addresses claims that some Kopdes buildings were built on food cropland, including LP2B (sustainable food land).
  • He says the government sought legal clarification involving:
    • An Attorney General fatwa
    • Reference to Minister of Home Affairs regulations
  • His claim: because it is a national priority program, buildings on LP2B may be permitted via a grant/donation mechanism.
  • He also stresses that misuse could be criminal, and the government aims to prevent future legal problems.

5) Subsidized goods distribution model (and reducing scarcity/hording risks)

  • The minister explains Kopdes will serve multiple functions:
    1. Distribute subsidized goods
    2. Sell basic/daily necessities
    3. Act as an off-taker for community production
  • For subsidized items (examples mentioned include LPG 3 kg, subsidized fertilizer, cooking oil, rice SPHP), the mechanism described is:
    • Distribution from relevant state-owned enterprises (BUMN) to Merah Putih village cooperatives
  • The stated goal is to reduce long distribution chains that can trigger:
    • Hoarding
    • Scarcity
    • Higher effective prices
  • He criticizes prior intermediary-based schemes and argues that shorter direct distribution should be more effective.

6) Relationship with private retail and local MSMEs

  • The minister suggests modern retail involvement is temporary.
  • Long-term intent is to prioritize:
    • Local MSME products
    • A local supply ecosystem
  • He provides examples related to village production and downstream processing (e.g., logic involving palm/CPO, potential local factories and derivatives), framing cooperatives as part of a broader production ecosystem—not only retail sellers.

7) Complaints reporting, oversight, and verification/validation controls

  • The minister describes:
    • A call center / reporting mechanism
    • Rapid checks of viral claims
  • He gives examples where media accusations were said to be inaccurate (e.g., a grave-area allegation described as “beside” rather than “in the middle”, and issues involving construction near schools/roads).
  • Oversight is said to involve multi-agency controls, including:
    • BPKP
    • Attorney General’s Office
    • The Ministry of Public Works, among others
  • He also discusses procurement scrutiny (e.g., debate about fan costs), stating checks will ensure correctness and price reasonableness.

8) Business viability, risk, and “it’s not operational yet” defense

  • A central rebuttal to the viral “failure” narrative is that buildings may look “failed” before operations begin.
  • He states some units were tested (mentioning a figure around 1,000 units) with mixed results, arguing that “failure” claims online may be premature.
  • He emphasizes the program includes:
    • Feasibility/visibility studies
    • Manager recruitment and training
    • Ongoing guidance and support so cooperatives can become profitable and useful to communities

9) Manager salary and funding mechanism

  • Manager compensation is described as referencing UMP (minimum wage), with adjustments by location and other factors.
  • He explains that:
    • The state pays/arranges manager cost for the initial period (as described in the episode).
    • Employees are expected to be paid later from business income.
  • Financing logic described includes:
    • 3 billion referenced as village fund guarantee for physical assets/equipment
    • Presidential direction that KUR credit schemes must be routed through Kopdes

10) Program continuity and independence from future administrations

  • In a Q&A segment, the minister emphasizes Kopdes belongs to the village community, so the program should not disappear with a new government.
  • After the initial period, he says cooperatives become independent business units, aiming to build an entrepreneurial mindset rather than dependency.

Presenters/Contributors

  • Feri Juliantono — Minister of Cooperatives
  • Vivin — podcast host (mentioned multiple times)
  • Rahmat — Q&A participant (asks questions in the video)
  • Vivin Elsa — host identity referenced in the intro

Original video