Plans to Proactively Prepare Livelihood Measures in August
Regarding the Atmosphere of the Day, "It Was a Time to Agree That Communication Is Important"
On the 6th, participants are conversing before the meeting at the first high-level ruling party-government consultation of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. (Photo by Yonhap News)
[Asia Economy Reporters Bomryeong Geum, Hyunji Kwon] The ruling party and the government have decided to swiftly implement the second supplementary budget to support vulnerable groups. They also plan to proactively prepare Chuseok livelihood measures within next month.
On the afternoon of the 6th, Heo Eun-ah, the chief spokesperson of the People Power Party, held a briefing at the National Assembly for the high-level ruling party-government (Daehyeop) council and stated, "We have decided to promptly execute the second supplementary budget to support vulnerable groups, including emergency livelihood stabilization funds for low-income households, energy vouchers, and support for corporate taxi and bus drivers. Additionally, we will proactively prepare Chuseok livelihood measures within August and swiftly implement additional livelihood stabilization plans."
Heo added, "The ruling party and government agreed that stabilizing prices and livelihoods is more important than any other issue and should be prioritized. We will accelerate the implementation of previously announced measures in sectors with significant price increases and high public impact, such as petroleum products, agricultural, livestock, fishery products, and food."
The ruling party and government also plan to quickly advance legislation directly related to economic revitalization and livelihood stabilization. Priority will be given to various regulatory reform bills, bills rationalizing regulations related to corporate investment and real estate, various tax law amendments, and bills facilitating the transition of small and medium enterprises to mid-sized companies. Bills supporting the strengthening of responses to the global supply chain crisis, fostering future industries such as the metaverse, and necessary legislation for institutional advancement are also included as major legislative tasks.
Heo stated, "Regarding the major bills discussed, the ruling party and government will closely cooperate, activate bipartisan consultations, and strive for prompt legislation. We will also maintain a permanent consultation channel for major legislative promotion and resolve obstacles in a timely manner."
After the briefing, when asked by reporters, "When will the party request the second supplementary budget?" Heo replied, "It was not requested by the party but rather reported. Given the interest rate situation and many external difficulties, prices are unlikely to improve continuously. Therefore, the supplementary budget discussion was prepared to stabilize and reduce shocks by prioritizing support for vulnerable groups."
When asked about the scale of the budget, Heo said, "It is difficult to say at this point. The figures have not been released yet, but we will announce them immediately once decided."
The ruling party-government council plans to meet regularly every month, alternating between the Prime Minister’s official residence and the National Assembly. Heo explained, "Requests will be made from either the party or the government as needed, and discussions will be held regularly every month."
Regarding the atmosphere of the high-level ruling party-government (Daehyeop) council meeting that day, Heo said, "It was a time to agree on the importance of communication. During the closed session, there was a lot of dialogue. The requests made by the party were conveyed to the party leader, floor leader, and secretary-general. The chiefs and the Prime Minister had a Q&A session, and we reviewed current issue materials and had separate discussions on the issues."
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