Jakarta, Sept. 25 -- Indonesia's villages minister said on Thursday the Red White Village Cooperative must serve as a driver of local economies rather than add new burdens, underscoring its role in boosting independence and cutting reliance on middlemen.

"In essence, we request that the presence of KDMP does not impose new burdens on villages but acts as a gateway to success in each village," Minister of Villages and Disadvantaged Regions Development Yandri Susanto said at a special deliberation on village cooperative financing, monitored in Jakarta.

He said the cooperatives represent a major opportunity for villages to strengthen their economies. Villages will be involved in every stage-from establishment and financing to operations-an...