Bandung, May 11 -- Deputy Minister of Cooperatives Ferry Juliantono said t he establishment of around 80 thousand cooperatives, planned under the Red and White Village Cooperatives program is projected to empower approximately 1.6 million residents.

"Assuming each of the 80 thousand cooperatives employs 20 persons comprising supervisors, administrators, and managers, this program could absorb 1.6 million workers. We aim to attract as many members as possible to boost rural economies," he remarked in a seminar in Bandung, West Java, on Saturday (May 10).

The seminar focused on the legacy of Mohammad Hatta, Indonesia's first vice president, who is nationally respected as the father of cooperatives.

Juliantono emphasized that the planned ...