Jeon Nam-do Councilor Woo Seung-hee Urges Expansion of COVID-19 Support to Protect Small Business Owners

Seunghee Woo, Jeonnam Provincial Assembly Member

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] The Jeonnam Provincial Council announced on the 18th that it adopted the "Resolution Urging the Amendment of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Protection and Support of Small Business Owners," which was proposed by Representative Woo Seung-hee (Democratic Party, Yeongam 1) at the 346th 2nd plenary session.

This resolution urges the government and the National Assembly to amend related laws to promote special measures that allow small business owners affected by COVID-19 to receive support funds without submitting unnecessary expenditure proof documents and to ensure the effectiveness of the policy.

The government is currently promoting the "COVID-19 Affected Small Business Store Reopening Support Project" with 100% national funding as a measure to normalize management, providing up to 3 million KRW for stores visited by confirmed cases and up to 1 million KRW for closed stores.

However, to receive the support funds, complicated expenditure proof documents related to the use of subsidies must be submitted, causing physical and psychological inconvenience to small business owners affected by COVID-19.

As of the previous day, administrative orders prohibiting gatherings in the Jeonnam region due to the resurgence of COVID-19 were counted at 7,621 stores across 17 categories. Additionally, 63 stores visited by confirmed COVID-19 cases received 189 million KRW in support for reopening.

Representative Woo Seung-hee stated, "Requesting proof documents from stores restricted in operation due to the involuntary cause of visits by confirmed COVID-19 cases and the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act contradicts legal common sense," and added, "It should be treated as an exception to submit proof documents, similar to the nature of the national emergency disaster relief fund and support for restricted business sectors in the government's 4th supplementary budget and some local governments."

She continued, "The Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Protection and Support of Small Business Owners should be amended to secure the effectiveness of support funds for COVID-19 affected stores on a legal basis and to further expand support for small business owners severely affected."

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