Surabaya, July 20 -- East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa urged state-run logistics company Bulog to distribute staple commodities to rural areas through cooperatives established under the Red and White Village Cooperatives program to help achieve equitable economic development.

"Red and White Village Cooperatives are a symbol of the economic strength of rural regions. For these business entities to deliver real impact, we need Bulog to ensure stable, direct supplies of basic goods, thereby shortening distribution chains," she said.

In a statement cited in Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday, the governor noted that a total of 8,494 village cooperatives in cities and districts across the province had been registered as legal business ...