Gyeonggi-do Livelihood Measures Special Committee Visits Paju Industrial Complex to Hear SME Grievances

Members of the Gyeonggi-do Special Committee on Livelihood Measures visited companies in the Sinchon Industrial Complex in Paju on the 10th to identify the difficulties faced by small and medium-sized enterprises in the province.

The Gyeonggi Province Special Committee on Livelihood Measures visited companies in the Sinchon Industrial Complex in Paju on the 10th to communicate with executives and employees in order to understand the difficulties faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the province.

This visit was conducted to listen to on-site voices and prepare effective measures amid the current crisis in the livelihood economy and business conditions caused by recent price increases, export sluggishness, and interest rate hikes.

The visiting delegation of about 10 people, including Moon Woo-sik, co-chairman of the Provincial Special Committee on Livelihood Measures, the Small Business and Corporate Measures Team of the Livelihood Special Committee, Gyeonggi Province, Paju City, and the Gyeonggi Institute of Science and Technology Promotion, focused on discussing ways to recover business conditions and on-site difficulties.

The CEO of Company A, a graphene material manufacturer, requested, "Since the material industry has a long development period and is not an industry that can immediately secure marketability, please evaluate policy support projects focusing on technological aspects rather than immediate profitability."

The CEO of Company B, a landscaping facility company, said, "The recent landscaping industry shows low operating profit compared to order volume," and added, "Government and local governments' interest and efforts are necessary for the stagnant landscaping industry to overcome difficulties and grow."

Co-chairman Moon Woo-sik stated, "We were able to understand various difficulties faced by SMEs, such as rising prices and production costs, and issues in the materials and parts industry," and promised, "We will continue to consult with related organizations to restore the livelihood economy."

The Provincial Special Committee on Livelihood Measures is a public-private policy consultative body launched in August last year to discuss and discover measures to restore the livelihood economy. It is composed of five task forces in the fields of economy and employment, small business and enterprises, living prices, vulnerable households, and real estate.

Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon and Seoul National University Professor Moon Woo-sik serve as co-chairmen, with Deputy Governor Yeom Tae-young as vice-chairman. Experts from various fields, as well as representatives from administration, politics, and civil society, participate as committee members. In addition to the Small Business and Corporate Measures Team, the Livelihood Special Committee held on-site meetings across the province in September to listen to opinions for the livelihood economy.