The delayed launch affects nearly half of the 21 KKMP units established across the city. At present, only 11 cooperatives actively provide services to the community.

Gembong Kurniawan, Acting Head of Cooperative Empowerment at the Blitar City Cooperative, SME, and Labor Office, confirmed that every KKMP building is ready. However, several units still lack equipment needed for daily operations.

“About 10 KKMP units have not started operating. Construction is complete, but they still need supporting facilities,” Kurniawan said.

He explained that the city is waiting for display shelves to showcase products. The cooperatives also need cashier equipment, computers, and digital transaction systems.

The agency must also prepare workers to operate the new systems. Staff members require training before they can handle financial transactions and manage cooperative activities efficiently.

Another major requirement involves transportation. Several cooperatives still need vehicles to move and distribute goods. Officials consider those vehicles important because they support product delivery and supply management.

The situation differs from the 11 KKMP units that already operate across Blitar City. Those cooperatives have received all required facilities and equipment.

“The 11 operational units already have complete support facilities. They have display shelves, equipment, and transportation vehicles,” Kurniawan added.

Despite the delay, officials emphasized that the issue only involves facility readiness. The city has not encountered problems related to construction, permits, or organizational management.

Authorities plan to expand operations gradually as equipment arrives and preparations progress. Agrinas, an organization assigned by Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs, will assist the operational process and provide field support.

According to Kurniawan, several additional KKMP units could begin serving residents as early as next week. The city expects more cooperatives to open in stages after they receive the remaining equipment.

The Merah Putih Village Cooperative program aims to strengthen local economic activity and improve access to community-based food services. Officials remain optimistic that the number of active cooperatives will continue to increase over the coming weeks.

If the current preparations proceed as scheduled, Blitar City could see more KKMP units launch before July. That expansion would allow more residents to access cooperative services while supporting local economic growth.

The Tulungagung administration has started mapping potential locations for the cooperative outlets. Officials have identified several areas that could accommodate the program, which aims to bring community-based economic services closer to residents.

Acting Regional Secretary Tri Hariadi said Karangwaru Urban Village currently stands out as the most prepared location. The area meets spatial planning requirements and already satisfies key zoning regulations. He also noted that Kedungsoko has shown similar readiness.

However, other locations still face significant obstacles. Several urban villages lack land parcels large enough to meet the minimum requirement of 600 square meters. According to Tri, securing suitable land in densely populated urban areas has become one of the biggest challenges for the project.

“Karangwaru is the clearest option because it meets the spatial planning requirements. Kedungsoko also meets the criteria,” he said.

Tri explained that authorities have already allocated land within the Agrinas area for part of the program. For locations outside Agrinas, the local government must develop additional plans before construction can move forward.

Officials want each cooperative outlet to remain close to local residents. As a result, the government continues to search for land within each urban village rather than relocating facilities to other areas.

“We want residents to access these cooperatives easily,” Tri said.

Beyond land issues, local authorities still await technical guidance on how the cooperatives will operate. The government has not yet received detailed instructions regarding management structures, operational procedures, or the possible involvement of urban village officials.

Tri also urged residents to maintain realistic expectations about the program. He emphasized that the initiative will not immediately become a large-scale project that consumes major portions of local budgets.

Meanwhile, Tulungagung Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Agency Head Slamet Sunarto said the financing framework for both Merah Putih Village Cooperatives and Merah Putih Urban Village Cooperatives already appears in Finance Minister Regulation No. 15 of 2026.

Despite that regulation, regional governments across Indonesia still lack guidance on how funding will enter local budgets and how authorities can disburse the money.

Sunarto said each cooperative could receive support of up to Rp 3 billion. That amount matches the funding planned for village-based cooperatives. Even so, the government has not explained how the money will be allocated.

Officials still do not know which activities will receive funding. They also await details on spending priorities and program implementation.

For now, Tulungagung continues preparing potential locations. Local authorities expect faster progress once Jakarta issues complete technical guidelines for the Merah Putih Village Cooperatives program.