Kwonikwi "Alternative Measures Such as Proxy Submission by Administrative Agencies and Mail Submission"
[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok]
#Mr. A (80), who runs a lodging business, visited B City Hall on the last day to apply for the Small Business Disaster Relief Fund and obtained the necessary documents. He then asked the city hall staff to assist him in applying for the disaster relief fund through the Small Enterprise and Market Service. The staff expressed difficulty, stating that it was impossible to verify his identity because he did not have a mobile phone registered under his name. As a result, Mr. A was unable to apply for the support fund.
On the 29th, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced that it had conveyed to both the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Service the opinion that measures should be prepared to ensure that information-disadvantaged groups without mobile phones registered under their own names do not face difficulties when applying for the Small Business Disaster Relief Fund.
Currently, applications for the support fund can be made through the Service’s website, mobile phones, or by making a prior reservation and visiting the Service in person. Without a mobile phone registered under one’s own name, it is impossible to use the website or even make a prior reservation to visit the Service, as identity verification must be done via phone or internet. Even if one visits the Service in person, identity verification is not possible.
The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission expressed the opinion that it would be desirable to prepare measures such as proxy applications by administrative agencies for information-disadvantaged small business owners, placing fund application forms within administrative agencies, and accepting applications by mail.
As grounds, they cited ▲the difficulty for elderly information-disadvantaged groups like Mr. A to smoothly complete the online authentication procedures required to apply for the Small Business Disaster Relief Fund ▲the difficulty in even connecting by phone due to the overwhelming volume of calls to the Service’s call center when trying to make a prior reservation ▲and the physical difficulty elderly people face in traveling if there is no nearby Service center.
Lim Jin-hong, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission’s Grievance and Civil Complaints Officer, said, "Anyone who is a small business owner affected by COVID-19 should be able to easily apply for support to truly fulfill the purpose of financial assistance," and added, "We will continue to do our best to resolve the difficulties faced by small business owners."
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