Prime Minister Kim and 40 Members Launch Public-Private Daily Recovery Support Committee
Full Efforts for Economic Recovery Including Resumption of Consumer Coupons
[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The government has formed a related organization to implement the phased daily recovery (With Corona) policy starting next month. Along with easing quarantine policies, it is also accelerating the preparation of economic recovery policies.
Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said before the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) meeting on the 15th, "I hope this will be the last adjustment of social distancing so that phased daily recovery can begin from next month."
The government plans to implement the With Corona policy from the 1st of next month after reviewing the trend of confirmed cases and other situations next week. First, the social distancing policy will be extended for two weeks from the 18th to the 31st, and during this period, the With Corona policy will be promoted depending on the situation. The principle is to implement the policy once more than 70% of the population (80% of those aged 18 and over) have completed COVID-19 vaccination.
To promote social and economic daily recovery in the post-Corona era in the long term, a 'Daily Recovery Support Committee' composed of 40 public-private experts in four subcommittees was newly established. On the 13th, the government held the committee's first meeting. It is a 40-member public-private joint organization co-chaired by Prime Minister Kim and Professor Choi Jae-chun of Ewha Womans University, which advises on overall policies for daily recovery and collects opinions.
The committee consists of four subcommittees: economic livelihood, socio-culture, autonomy and safety, and quarantine and medical care. After gathering public opinions, it will derive policy tasks for phased daily recovery.
There is no expectation of a dramatic change such as immediately removing masks. However, policies to accelerate economic recovery are being rapidly promoted. A representative example is the 'resumption of consumer coupon use' card.
Lee Eok-won, the 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, chaired the Innovation Growth Strategy Review Meeting and Policy Review Meeting the day before and stated, "We will closely consult with quarantine authorities to ensure that 'With Corona' leads to recovery of the livelihood economy and vulnerable sectors, and review ways to resume policies such as consumer coupons that have been temporarily suspended."
This is a measure to support daily recovery while comprehensively considering quarantine conditions such as the quarantine situation and vaccination rate. In particular, when the vaccination rate reaches 70%, there is a plan to issue coupons for accommodation, tourism, railroads, and buses.
Vice Minister Lee said, "As the vaccination speed accelerates, it is expected that the goal of 70% vaccination completion for the entire population will be achieved within this month," and added, "The COVID-19 Daily Recovery Support Committee has launched and is preparing a roadmap for With Corona."
The relaxation of eligibility requirements for the emergency welfare system will also be extended until the end of the year. Emergency welfare is a system that quickly supports emergency living expenses and medical expenses for low-income households who have difficulty maintaining their livelihood due to sudden crisis reasons such as unemployment, business suspension or closure, and illness. To respond to the COVID-19 crisis, eligibility requirements such as asset criteria have been temporarily relaxed, and this measure will be extended until the end of the year.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
