SBC "Major Centers See Reduced Waiting Numbers... Over 3,352 Direct Loans Issued"

Small business owners affected by COVID-19 are receiving consultation on financial loan support at the local Small Business Support Center.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daeseop] The Small Enterprise and Market Service (SEMAS) announced on the 2nd that the number of people waiting on-site at major centers nationwide is decreasing.

On that day, the number of people waiting on-site at SEMAS major centers nationwide was counted at 345 (as of 6:30 AM). Additionally, the number of direct loans for the Small Business Emergency Management Stabilization Fund of 10 million KRW reached 3,352 cases (as of 6 PM on the 1st), amounting to approximately 35.7 billion KRW.

The on-site waiting numbers are as follows: ▲ Anyang Center 2 ▲ Ansan Center 30 ▲ Busan Dongbu Center 10 ▲ Seoul Seobu Center 34 ▲ Seoul Jungbu Center 40 ▲ Seoul Nambu Center 18 ▲ Gwangju Bukbu Center 4 ▲ Hwaseong Center 15 ▲ Uijeongbu Center 26 ▲ Suwon Center 70 ▲ Daegu Nambu Center 15 ▲ Daejeon Nambu Center 10 ▲ Seongnam Center 20 ▲ Daejeon Bukbu Center 6 ▲ Ulsan Center 8 ▲ Daegu Bukbu Center 37.

SEMAS explained that although there are regional differences in the scale of on-site waiting at Small Business Support Centers, the numbers are decreasing to a level that can be resolved step-by-step.

SEMAS operates a smart waiting system replacing numbered tickets at 62 Small Business Support Centers nationwide to reduce the waiting time for small business owners to receive consultations. Small business owners enter their contact information on a tablet to register for loan consultations, and the centers sequentially send notifications via KakaoTalk or text messages to proceed with consultations, thereby reducing waiting time and allowing small business owners to utilize on-site waiting time outside of registration hours.

A SEMAS official stated, "To improve convenience in preparing loan documents for small business owners, we installed unmanned civil service issuance machines in 11 Small Business Support Centers nationwide in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and local governments." He added, "Along with the full-scale launch of direct loans, we are working to resolve loan bottlenecks by introducing an odd-even system and diversifying small business COVID-19 loan counters according to credit ratings."