Cooperatives Are a Means of Indonesian Economic Sovereignty and Independence: Prabowo

Jakarta: President Prabowo Subianto stated that cooperatives are the primary means of realizing an ecosystem and economic independence for the Indonesian people. This was conveyed at the launch of the 80,000 Koperasi Merah Putih in Bentangan Village, Wonosari, Klaten, Central Java.

Prabowo emphasized the cooperative concept, which was born from the spirit of mutual cooperation and is specifically intended for the economically weak so they can rise together.

"The cooperative concept is a concept for the weak, for the weak. The strong, the wealthy, usually don't want to join cooperatives. They have already established PTs (Limited Liability Companies), established holding companies, and established their own corporations," Prabowo said on Monday, July 21, 2025.

Furthermore, Prabowo stated that cooperatives must be a tool for the common people to fight for economic sovereignty. "Cooperatives are a tool for the weak to transform weakness into strength. This is the path to true independence, namely economic independence," the President emphasized.

The strength of cooperatives lies in togetherness.

The Head of State believes that the strength of cooperatives lies in togetherness. Therefore, he likened a single weak stick to a broom, but if they are united, they become a strong and useful broom.

"From the weak, if we unite, we will become strong. This is the philosophy of cooperatives. From a weak economy, we build economic strength," he continued.

On the other hand, Prabowo also touched on the cooperative system, which is often disliked by large capital owners or investors.

"The cooperative movement has been around for a long time, but it is often seen as disruptive by major powers. In fact, some countries are unhappy to see other nations striving to rise," Prabowo said.