Gwangju Chamber of Commerce Holds Regional Companies' Management and Employment Crisis Response Council Meeting

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry held the ‘2022 1st Regional Companies Management and Employment Crisis Response Council’ on the 18th in the main conference room.

This meeting was organized as part of the ‘Gwangju Job Creation Innovation Growth Project’ supported by Gwangju Metropolitan City and the Gwangju Regional Employment and Labor Office to monitor the current status of local companies and industrial complexes facing difficulties due to the rapidly changing economic environment such as the transition to a low-carbon and digital economy, rising raw material prices, and interest rates, and to prepare response measures together with local governments and related organizations.

About 30 participants attended the meeting, including representatives from Gwangju City, Gwangju Regional Employment and Labor Office, the Hanam, Pyeongdong, Sochon, Songam, and Bonchon Industrial Complex Councils and companies, officials from the Gwangju Jeonnam Regional Small and Medium Venture Business Administration, Credit Guarantee Fund, Technology Guarantee Fund, Gwangju Technopark, Small and Medium Business Corporation, labor attorneys, and experts in business management and technology.

Choi Jong-man, the full-time vice chairman, said in his greeting, “The complex crisis situation, including the COVID-19 pandemic, soaring raw material prices, and increased instability in financial and foreign exchange markets, is intensifying difficulties for the regional economy and industry,” adding, “I hope this meeting will be a valuable opportunity to deepen our understanding of the realities faced by our companies and to seek solutions together.”

In the subsequent report on the progress of the ‘Regional Companies Management and Employment Crisis Preemptive Response Support Project,’ it was mentioned that expert on-site visits for management diagnosis and consulting are being provided to help local companies overcome crises.

Currently, about 50 companies in the region are resolving difficulties through expert diagnosis support in various fields such as management strategy, new business promotion, labor management, financing, marketing, technology development, and production management.

Participating companies expressed difficulties regarding workforce outflow and new hiring, worsening profitability due to soaring raw material prices, sales decline caused by economic slowdown and reduced automobile production, and emphasized the urgent need for financial support for new business promotion, support for responding to the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act, and expanded support for employment retention and new hiring.

Additionally, opinions were presented on deregulation of restricted industries for revitalizing industrial complexes, expansion of logistics sites, and maintenance of street trees.

A company representative from Jingok Industrial Complex said, “I find it very meaningful that a place was provided to build consensus on the difficulties faced by companies and to voice opinions for improvement,” emphasizing, “Our companies will also do their best efforts to overcome the current difficulties with the support and interest of the local community.”

Following this, various response measures and support discussions were held. In particular, the Gwangju Regional Employment and Labor Office introduced youth job leap incentives for employment retention, employment support for suitable jobs for middle-aged workers, and regular employee conversion support systems. The Credit Guarantee Fund, Technology Guarantee Fund, and Small and Medium Business Corporation shared their expanded guarantee support systems and policy fund support systems for the second half of the year, and Gwangju Technopark introduced its regional innovation leading company development support project.

Attendees agreed to closely cooperate to help local companies regain competitiveness and vitality.

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