Unified Party Steps Up 'COVID-19 Livelihood Support'... Urges Disaster Relief Funds and Prepares Support Legislation

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The United Future Party is actively stepping up to support livelihoods amid the resurgence of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). While urging the ruling party and government to provide a second round of disaster relief funds, they are also pushing for the passage of livelihood bills such as expanding income tax and corporate tax reductions for small and medium-sized enterprises affected by COVID-19.

Kim Jong-in, the emergency committee chairman of the United Future Party, told reporters after the emergency committee meeting at the National Assembly main building on the 24th, "If we move to the third stage of social distancing, the livelihood issues of self-employed people and small business owners will become serious," and emphasized the need for selective payment of the second disaster relief funds.

Chairman Kim said, "The first disaster relief funds were given uniformly per household, but the first payment did not resolve polarization," adding, "If disaster relief funds are not concentrated on those sectors (self-employed, small business owners), the polarization phenomenon will worsen."

While the ruling party and government have decided to postpone discussions on the second disaster relief fund payment and focus all efforts on quarantine, the opposition party has taken the lead in urging the payment of disaster relief funds. Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson for the United Future Party, also said in a briefing that day, "Despite the United Future Party's demand for the formulation of the 4th supplementary budget, I wonder why the government has not yet made a decision," and questioned, "Shouldn't the government and ruling party take the lead ahead of the opposition to care for the people in distress? Why are they so stingy?"

The United Future Party also urged the prompt passage of the 'COVID-19 Crisis Escape Livelihood Support Act,' consisting of nine bills. The nine bills proposed by United Future Party lawmakers include ▲ the Infectious Disease Prevention and Management Act amendment ▲ the Act on the Regulation of Terms and Conditions amendment ▲ the Higher Education Act amendment ▲ the Act on Gender Equality in Employment and Work-Family Balance Support amendment ▲ the Framework Act on Agriculture, Rural Community, and Food Industry amendment ▲ the Grain Management Act amendment ▲ the Commercial Building Lease Protection Act amendment ▲ the Restriction of Special Taxation Act amendment ▲ and the Special Measures Act for Overcoming the COVID-19 Crisis. Except for the COVID-19 special law, eight of these bills are the party's top priority bills.

Among them, the Higher Education Act amendment, led by Representative Lee Jong-bae, aims to establish grounds for schools that find normal educational activities difficult to refund part of the tuition fees to university (graduate) students, and the work-family balance support bill includes provisions to allow parents to take family care leave in case of school or daycare closures due to infectious diseases.

Additionally, the Restriction of Special Taxation Act amendment includes expanding the income tax and corporate tax reduction rates for small and medium-sized enterprises affected by infectious diseases from the existing 30-60% to 60-100%, and expanding the special VAT taxation exemption for individual business owners from an annual sales threshold of 80 million won to 100 million won.

Spokesperson Kim said, "Many mothers and fathers should be able to take additional care leave without hesitation, and the government must act swiftly," adding, "Instead of rushing through bills unrelated to the public's wishes, the Democratic Party should respond by passing livelihood bills."

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