[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] The 'Public Interest Allowance for Farmers and Fishermen,' which will provide 600,000 KRW per farm household to farmers and fishermen in Jeonnam Province, will begin full-scale distribution starting from Yeosu City on the 24th.
According to Jeonnam Province on the 23rd, payments will be made sequentially starting with cities and counties that have completed the confirmation process for eligible recipients, with the total amount reaching 120.9 billion KRW.
Accordingly, payments will be made on ▲24th in Yeosu City ▲26th in Yeonggwang County and Jindo County ▲March 10th in Naju City and Wando County ▲and from March 15th in all remaining cities and counties.
Farmers and fishermen confirmed as eligible recipients must bring a valid ID (driver’s license, resident registration card, passport, etc.) and visit their local Nonghyup branch to receive the allowance in local currency, or receive it via prepaid card at their respective eup, myeon, or dong offices.
Gwangyang City and Yeonggwang County will distribute the allowance via prepaid cards, while the other cities and counties will use local currency.
It is expected that the allowance will greatly help stabilize the livelihoods of farmers and fishermen, who have been struggling due to COVID-19, and aid in the recovery of the local economy.
The province and cities/counties have received a total of 201,587 applications for the public interest allowance through 297 eup, myeon, and dong offices across the province up to recently.
This is an increase of 10,259 applications (5.4%) compared to last year’s 191,328 applications. To expand the pool of eligible recipients, the province has improved the system starting this year to allow farmers and fishermen living with public officials and employees of public institutions to also receive the allowance.
Additionally, the province plans to operate a separate application period for farmers and fishermen who missed the application deadline during the January submission period to prevent any cases of disadvantage.
So Young-ho, Director of the Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Bureau of Jeonnam Province, said, “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the contraction in agricultural and fishery product consumption threatens the management stability of farms and fisheries. We will promptly complete the payment of the public interest allowance to provide some support to farmers and fishermen in the province.”
Meanwhile, Jeonnam Province introduced the public interest allowance for farmers and fishermen last year as the first in the nation, as a pledge of Governor Kim Young-rok during the 7th local government administration, to compensate for the public and multifaceted values of agriculture, fisheries, and rural areas, and to address rural issues such as population decline and aging.
In its first year of introduction last year, 114.8 billion KRW was paid to 191,328 farm business operators.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
