Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) has deployed 134 personnel to assist 159 cooperatives in their modernization efforts until the end of 2023.hmad Zabadi, the Deputy for Cooperatives at the ministry, stated that these assistants were selected through a rigorous process. Out of 3,600 applicants, 134 were objectively chosen. “We also engaged highly competent external experts. I have high expectations for these assistants,” he said in a statement received on Saturday. During the 2020-2024 period, the Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs, Teten Masduki, aims to modernize 500 cooperatives, with a particular focus on those in the food sector, he revealed. Masduki added that his administration is offering competitive salaries to the selected personnel, based on their skills, as a form of appreciation for their assistance in the cooperatives’ modernization. “This is our strategy to achieve the performance targets set by the Deputy for Cooperatives,” he explained. He further emphasized the need for the personnel to work with utmost dedication to create modern cooperatives. Failure to achieve the target this year would make progress much more challenging in the future. Zabadi outlined two parameters of a modern cooperative: firstly, the use of digital platforms such as applications for operations, and secondly, establishing connections with formal financial institutions. “This doesn’t only mean having a bank account, but also the ability for cooperatives to utilize payment facilities. If they can achieve this, it signifies trust,” he explained. Nasrun Siagian, Assistant Deputy for Cooperatives and Functional Position Human Resources Development at the ministry, mentioned that the 134 personnel were selected from 28 provinces across Indonesia. Siagian informed that the personnel will receive training on various topics related to cooperatives, including management, business development, export, accounting, and others. “We expect the assistants to carry out their duties diligently and critically absorb knowledge about modern cooperatives, which will facilitate their assistance to these cooperatives in the future,” Siagian added.

Source: Antara News Agency