Malang, (malangkota.go.id) – The Covid-19 pandemic has affected various sectors, including cooperatives. Some of the impacts experienced by cooperatives are decreased turnover in all business units, delayed member installments, late financing, and decreased member savings, resulting in decreased cooperative income. This statement was conveyed by the Head of the Cooperatives, Industry and Trade Service (Diskopindag) of Malang City, Muhammad Sailendra, ST., MT, Monday (12/7/2021).
"Those who feel the most impact of the Covid-19 pandemic are members whose income has decreased or even disappeared. The problems faced by cooperatives are essentially the result of members who are directly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic," he said.
Cooperatives are different from other business entities, cooperatives are owned and managed by their members themselves. The goal is to meet the needs of its members, especially in the economic sector. The existence of cooperatives is expected to play an active role in realizing the welfare and prosperity of the people.
"There are three focuses for handling the impact of this pandemic, namely by handling member problems, changing service and budgeting policies, and program support and facilitation," he added.
Handling of member problems must be adjusted to the needs and background of the members. Mapping of member jobs is carried out, whether they are civil servants, employees, retirees, entrepreneurs and others. After mapping the conditions of members, a classification of member conditions is carried out which is categorized into three things, namely high, medium, and low.
"Next, policy adjustments are needed. This is done to support the readiness of cooperatives in facing the impact of the pandemic. Some of the policies that are adjusted are budget policies by maximizing the use of funds available in cooperatives," said Muhammad Sailendra.
Sailendra added, policies in terms of budget efficiency and policies related to advocacy for the use of funds by members. In addition, there are new policies related to services to members in each existing business unit. Providing support and facilitating programs aims to support cooperatives and their members to survive.
"The government provides support and facilities for cooperatives affected by the pandemic. Cooperatives are also given facilities to provide cheap credit. Cooperatives are prioritized as agents for distributing community needs. In addition, there is also relaxation for cooperatives," he said.
The government is protecting cooperatives and MSMEs during this pandemic by relaxing and restructuring loans for cooperatives and MSMEs, as well as liquidity assistance. In addition, the government is also providing an expansion of working capital funds for cooperatives and MSMEs and tax incentives for MSMEs with annual turnover below IDR 4,8 billion.
"Even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, cooperatives are taking real action for their members by restructuring and rescheduling loans, reducing interest, and providing capital support for MSMEs," explained Sailendra.
Meanwhile, the Mayor of Malang, Drs. H. Sutiaji, emphasized that cooperatives in Malang City can target more groups. Not only the colonials who utilize cooperatives. But also the millennials through other business units that can be developed more widely.
"I hope that not only savings and loan units should be developed. But also other business units so that they have profit for the welfare of their members. The values of togetherness must continue to be strengthened, because by doing so, the people's economy based on cooperatives will be more resilient in all situations of the rise and fall of the national economy," said Mayor Sutiaji.
Based on data from the Malang City Diskopindag, it is known that there are currently 341 active cooperatives. Each consists of producer, marketing, consumer, service, and savings and loan cooperatives. The cooperatives are spread across five sub-districts in Malang City. The business volume of all cooperatives reached Rp757.736.667.769,00 with a SHU value of Rp25.318.349.641,00.
"Malang City Government has conducted various activities to improve the performance of cooperatives, which currently have a total of 55.640 members. Cooperatives are the mainstay of the economy, so they must be fully supported," he continued.
Meanwhile, regarding the National Cooperative Day which is commemorated every July 12, it is an encouragement for all cooperative members in Indonesia to be more active in developing their cooperatives. Initially, cooperatives were established as an effort to help people who were in debt from loan sharks or usurers. Starting from that problem, a Javanese nobleman named Raden Bei Aria Wirjaatmadja established a kind of savings and loan bank, namely Hulp en Spaarbank on December 16, 1886. The savings and loan business which would later be known as cooperatives continued to develop in the Dutch East Indies or Indonesia, and even later became a people's movement.
On July 12, 1947, the first Cooperative Congress was held in Tasikmalaya. One of the results was to establish July 12 as National Cooperative Day. In the Second Congress of Indonesian Cooperatives in Bandung, Mohammad Hatta was appointed as the Father of Indonesian Cooperatives.
Reported from the official website of the Indonesian Cooperative Council (Dekopin), the 74th commemoration of National Cooperative Day this year takes the theme "Digital Transformation of Cooperatives Towards a Strong and Dignified Modern Business." Meanwhile tagline-its “Digitalization Towards Modern Cooperatives.” The series of activities for this year’s National Cooperative Day are planned to be held virtually in Surabaya, East Java.
Activities of several cooperatives in Malang City in several business fields
(ari/ram)
