Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian government is targeting that the Red and White Village Cooperatives can create 1.4 million jobs for poor people recorded as social assistance or the Family Hope Program (PKH) beneficiaries.“With an average of 15 to 18 workers per cooperative and an assumed 80,000 Red and White Village Cooperatives, we can absorb nearly 1.4 million PKH beneficiaries into the workforce,” Cooperatives Minister Ferry Juliantono stated during a press conference in Jakarta on Monday.According to the minister, this strategic program not only encourages PKH beneficiaries to become cooperative members but also offers them opportunities to manage cooperative operations at the village level.He expressed hope that the additional income from both cooperative dividends and employment will help social assistance beneficiaries transition out of poverty.Furthermore, Juliantono affirmed that his ministry is preparing specific regulations to simplify membership for social assistance beneficiaries, including allowing initial mandatory savings to be paid in installments.”If necessary, we will issue a ministerial regulation to ensure the most affordable financing terms for PKH beneficiaries who become members or employees of village cooperatives,” he remarked.Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Cooperatives Farida Farichah explained that the recruitment scheme for the village cooperatives' workers is currently being finalized.After the process is completed, the recruitment will be integrated with the data of social assistance beneficiaries managed by the Ministry of Social Affairs.Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf added that the inclusion of PKH beneficiaries in cooperatives will be backed by a clear legal framework.He explained that every member must contribute initial savings one time upon joining as a prerequisite for official membership.Yusuf noted his ministry is currently reviewing the amount for this initial saving, with options of Rp50,000 (US$2.9) or Rp100,000 that can be paid in installments to ensure it is not burdensome for the PKH beneficiaries.Furthermore, he said that beneficiaries who become members will also be required to make monthly mandatory contributions, with amounts ranging from Rp5,000 to Rp10,000.