Medan, North Sumatra (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Ministry of Cooperatives stated that physical building construction has been fully completed for almost 7,000 Red and White Village Cooperatives across the country.The ministry's Deputy for Cooperative Business Development, Panel Barus, stated that this figure is part of the 35,000 cooperatives currently under construction.”As of today, nearly 7,000 are 100 percent complete across Indonesia,” he said after delivering a public lecture at the North Sumatra Muhammadiyah University (UMSU) in Medan, North Sumatra, on Thursday.He noted that the physical construction of these village cooperatives is being fast-tracked nationwide.Barus added that the completion is expected to reach 30,000 units by August 2026.In this regard, he stated that the central government is encouraging all regions, including North Sumatra, to accelerate the construction process to optimize the program.Deputy Minister of Cooperatives Farida Farichah previously noted that the government is also preparing the workforce to manage these cooperatives, with each cooperative expected to recruit 15–18 employees to support operations.The positions, which include drivers, security guards, and warehouse keepers, will be prioritized to be filled by local village residents.Furthermore, she asserted that the government will push for the involvement of social assistance beneficiaries to become village cooperative workers. The recruitment will be integrated with the social assistance beneficiary data of the Ministry of Social Affairs.The Indonesian government initiated the Red and White Village Cooperatives as hubs of economic and social services in village communities, offering savings, loans, and clinic services, among others.With over 80,000 Red and White Village Cooperatives established institutionally nationwide, the Ministry of Cooperatives is now accelerating the construction of outlets, warehouses, and the infrastructure necessary to support their operations.