inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan (Zulhas) guaranteed that the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperative (KDMP) will not hinder the operations of small shops or similar micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) owned by residents.

"Let me explain, KDMP is not a shop, not a supermarket. So, there's no need to worry about small shops, all sorts of retail outlets, these. They can complement each other," said Zulhas,  at a press conference regarding the draft Presidential Regulation on KDMP Governance held in Jakarta on Tuesday (7/28/2026).

Zulhas explained that the function of KDMP is to serve as government infrastructure in distributing subsidized goods and government aid.

Furthermore, Zulhas stated that the KDMP also functions as an offtaker, or a buyer of agricultural products, such as rice, unhusked rice, and others.

"If the government sets the price of unhusked rice at IDR 6,500 in that area, then turns out that middlemen are buying it at Rp 5,000, KDMP can buy it for IDR 6,500, in collaboration with Bulog," said Zulhas.

In the future, Zulhas continued, if KDMP develops well, it will be possible to develop tourist villages, thematic villages, and other similar projects.

The government is targeting approximately 25,000 KDMP to begin operations by August–September 2026. This number is expected to increase to 35,862 by the end of the year.

Zulhas hopes that the Presidential Regulation governing the governance of KDMP will be completed this week, serving as the operational basis for the program.

"Hopefully, the governance will be finalized this week so that everyone can have the same understanding," said Zulhas.

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