Since the release of Inpres (Presidential Directive) No. 18 Year 1998, KUD (Rural Unit Cooperative) is no longer the sole cooperative at the level of sub-district. The rendering of government’s programs to the market mechanism eventually leads to the decreasing performance of more than 5.400 KUDs in Indonesia. However, many KUD also flourish.
According to Prof. Ir. Triwibowo Yuwono, Ph.D., the Dean of UGM’s Agriculture Faculty, Friday (7/8), after seeing such phenomenon, KUD is worth empowering as its initial concept was. To restore the key role of KUD, he added, is the consequence of the demand of people’s economy development. This also helps the government’s program to empower people’s economy.
On August 1st, the Agriculture Faculty decided to work with the Public Ministry of Cooperative and UKM (Small and Intermediate Enterprises) as well as with Bulog (Logistic Body) of DIY to formulate four points about KUD’s revitalization into the Declaration of Bulaksumur.
The four points are:
1. First, the need of reviewing the Presidential Directive No. 18 year 1998 about KUD Management to strengthen its role in the program of food survival with an organization management system that leads to a self-supporting KUD and self-supporting KUD members.
2. Second, the involvement of KUD in the distribution of production, food, and rural economy development program facilities.
3. Third, the escalation of human resource quality in the management of KUD through the education of cooperative, training, and assistance.
4. Fourth, the reformation of KUD’s instituting by integrating the farmer group and the combination of different farmer groups as one of the structuring part of KUD.
In addition, Triwibowo expects that the central and local government also support and strengthen this rural people’s economy institution.
(Public Relations of UGM/Ika)