Govt Opens Financing, Market Access for Inmates’ Products

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesian Ministry of Cooperatives (Kemenkop) is providing financing and market access for products made by inmates in correctional facilities, in collaboration with the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections (Kemenimipas).

The partnership was formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by Deputy Minister of Cooperatives, Farida Farichah, and Minister of Immigration and Corrections, Agus Andrianto.

Farida said the collaboration aims to empower inmates economically through cooperatives, equipping them with skills and independence when they return to society.

“We want to ensure that inmates are not only objects of development but also subjects of economic development through cooperatives,” she said in a statement on Monday, April 27, 2026.

Through the program, inmates will receive training in entrepreneurship and business management to strengthen human resources. The Ministry of Cooperatives will also facilitate expanded market access for inmate products, including agricultural, fisheries, and craft products, enabling them to enter wider distribution networks, such as the Merah Putih Village Cooperative.

Financial support will be provided through the Revolving Fund Management Institution (LPDB), which will distribute affordable loans to inmate cooperatives. Farida added that strengthening cooperative institutions will continue, including the development of the Indonesian Correctional Cooperative Association (Inkopasindo) in various regions.

Minister Agus Andrianto emphasized that prison transformation must have a tangible impact on inmates, particularly through economic empowerment.

“We want prisons to not only be places of correction, but also independent and sustainable business centers,” he said.

Director General of Corrections Mashudi noted that economic strengthening within correctional facilities has already begun through Inkopasindo, supported by a budget of approximately IDR 4.3 billion.

He said empowering inmates through cooperatives is a strategic step toward opening business opportunities, improving welfare, and encouraging contributions to national economic development. (Misni Parjiati/Lasti Martina)