Jakarta, April 26 -- Deputy Minister of Transmigration, Viva Yoga Mauladi, has urged village leaders to proactively push the establishment of cooperatives in their respective regions to advance the Red and White Village Cooperatives program.

"I want village heads to take full advantage of the government's various programs to raise the living standards of rural communities," he said at a webinar attended by members of the Indonesian Association of Village Governments (Apdesi).

According to an official statement released on Saturday, Mauladi emphasized that cooperatives formed under this initiative could help boost rural economies by absorbing local farmers' produce, providing capital for new businesses, and reducing unemployment.

He add...