Jakarta, July 12 -- President Prabowo Subianto revealed that the idea of establishing the Red and White Village Cooperatives had been on his mind for decades, dating back to his time as a military officer stationed in rural areas.

Speaking at the main celebration of the 79th National Cooperative Day in Jakarta on Sunday, the president said his experience living among villagers inspired the concept of strengthening cooperatives as a vital tool for empowering the grassroots economy.

"The concept of the Red and White Cooperative has been on my mind for a long time-for decades, in fact," President Prabowo said.

Prabowo recalled that during his deployments to rural areas, he witnessed firsthand the harsh realities faced by communities livin...