Small Business Association Appeals to Use Disaster Relief Funds for Small Business Establishments

Bae Dong-wook, President of the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise, issued a statement on the 12th urging the use of the nationwide disaster relief funds at small business establishments.
[Photo by Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] The Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise Associations appealed for "the use of emergency disaster relief funds at small business establishments and participation in the Good Consumer Movement, a prepayment campaign to support small business owners."

Regarding the nationwide emergency disaster relief funds, which began distribution on the 11th, the Federation issued a statement titled "Statement on the Nationwide Emergency Disaster Relief Fund Distribution," urging that "the nationwide emergency disaster relief funds be properly utilized for small business owners struggling due to COVID-19, in line with the fund’s purpose, to become a turning point in overcoming the national crisis."

The statement was released under the name of Bae Dong-wook, president of the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise Associations. In the statement, President Bae urged small business owners to "further enhance the level of daily quarantine measures at their establishments, improve quality and service standards, and renew their commitment to create opportunities for customers to continuously visit small business establishments."

He also added, "Considering that some establishments had issues with discriminatory pricing related to the disaster relief funds, please maintain regular prices to prevent inconvenience and complaints from customers visiting small business stores, and make every effort to foster a fair trade environment."

President Bae reminded that "thanks to the dedicated quarantine efforts of the government and medical staff, South Korea has become a global model for quarantine, and the economy is gradually recovering; however, due to local infection spread and other factors, small business owners still face a long road before returning to normal."

He introduced the reality faced by small business owners, stating, "According to a survey by the Federation, 72% of small business owners responded that if the COVID-19 situation prolongs, they will have no choice but to close their businesses or consider closure."

He then called on the government and the National Assembly, saying, "We hope for continuous expansion of financial support for small business owners, tax reductions such as VAT relief, and follow-up measures including the spread of small business disaster relief fund cases implemented by local governments like Seoul to other municipalities."

To the public, he emphasized, "Please continue to support small business owners with unwavering interest and affection by using the emergency disaster relief funds at small business establishments and participating in the Good Consumer Movement, a prepayment campaign to help small business owners, thereby continuously empowering them."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.