소상공인 새출발 희망 프로젝트(Sejong=Yonhap Infomax) Reporter Park Jun-hyung = The government will expand the new start fund from 30 trillion won to over 40 trillion won to help small business owners who are experiencing management difficulties get back on their feet.
In addition, support measures such as policy funds and special guarantees will be prepared at each stage so that small business owners can grow into small businesses.
The government plans to establish a one-stop platform so that they can receive information on this support at once.
On the 3rd, the government announced a comprehensive plan for small business owners and self-employed people that includes these contents.
◇ New start fund 30 trillion won → 40 trillion won + α… Helps with employment and re-establishment
The government will initially increase the new start fund from the current 30 trillion won to over 40 trillion won to support small business owners who wish to reorganize their business through debt adjustment and other revival support. In order to adjust accumulated debt due to high interest rates, the debt adjustment target period will be extended from November 2023 to June 2024, and the application deadline will be extended from October next year to the end of December 2026.
In order for closed businesses that have received debt adjustment to succeed in their recovery, guidance will be provided to link them with the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s employment education and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ re-establishment business commercialization program.
When the relevant education is completed, the principal reduction rate will be adjusted from the current maximum of 80% to a maximum of 90%, which is 10 percentage points (p).
In case of successful employment or re-establishment, public information registration will be immediately canceled.
The New Start Hope Project, which supports employment and re-establishment of small business owners, will also be launched.
First, a specialized employment program for small business owners will be established, and the existing Hope Return Package’s employment support program will be expanded and reorganized into a 1-month program.
In addition, a specialized employment support program within the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s national employment support system will be operated for up to 6 months. We will also provide incentives to help small business owners who have closed their businesses find new jobs.
Small business owners who participate in the training will receive a training participation allowance of 500,000 to 1.1 million won per month for up to 6 months and a job success allowance of up to 1.9 million won.
Business owners who hire small business owners who have completed the program will receive an employment promotion incentive of 300,000 to 600,000 won per person per month for one year.
For small business owners who want to start a business again, we will closely manage them by focusing on education, industry conversion, and growth industries through 1:1 matching with a PM dedicated to starting a business again.
We will also provide a project to support up to 20 million won for business re-establishment.
For small business owners who want to close their businesses, we will expand the store demolition support fund from 2.5 million won to 4 million won. We will also provide services such as business reorganization consulting and legal advice.
◇From small business owners to small businesses… Supporting Growth
The government is establishing a milestone-style support program to help small business owners scale up to become small businesses.
Up to 200 million won will be provided to small business graduates, and if they succeed in growing into small businesses, up to 500 million won will be provided additionally.
In addition, the government is considering establishing a special guarantee linked to the future performance of small business owners.
The structure is to sign a performance target agreement and provide a first guarantee to small business graduates, and provide 2nd to 3rd additional guarantees if they succeed in entering the small business or achieve their goals.
A ‘deferral option’ will be given to companies that meet the requirements for small businesses but are still small businesses due to the uniform deferral system.
However, there are plans to provide preferential benefits for early entry into the small business system.
The government is also planning to support small business owners’ overseas expansion.
The government will provide consulting services for entering overseas shopping malls to promising small business owners and expand the scope of product localization support.
In addition, the Donghaeng Festival will be reorganized into a platform to expand sales channels for small and medium-sized businesses. The government has set a goal of generating 20 trillion won in sales from this year to 2027 through the Donghaeng Festival.
◇ Providing ‘one-stop’ information on finance, job creation, and management stability
The government will establish a one-stop platform so that small business owners can easily find and receive information they need on finance, job creation, and management stability.
First, it will provide integrated information on small business policy by ministry centered on 77 small business support centers nationwide.
The main items of information are the financial 3-piece set and new start fund included in this comprehensive measure for small business owners and self-employed workers.
Starting next month, integrated information will be provided through the online window, SME Integrated Call Center 1357.
Finally, it plans to establish a dedicated channel for small business owners by expanding the SME Integrated Call Center’s personnel next year.
jhpark6@yna.co.kr
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