Busan Region Small and Medium Business On-site Meeting Held
Improvement to Operate Refill Stores for Shampoo, Rinse, etc.
Proposal to Reduce Environmental Liability Insurance Premiums for Accident-Free Workplaces Also Raised
Regulations will be abolished to allow consumers to purchase cosmetics such as shampoo and rinse at refill stores without hiring a dispensing manager.
On the 12th, the Small and Medium Business Ombudsman held an ‘S.O.S Talk Meeting’ together with the Busan Regional Headquarters of the Small and Medium Business Corporation to discuss this matter. At the meeting, they discussed a proposal for institutional improvements related to environmentally conscious cosmetics refilling sales submitted by Sangtte Cosmetics.
Under current law, the act of subdividing cosmetics is considered ‘manufacturing,’ and stores that sell subdivided cosmetics must have a dispensing manager on site. A cosmetics industry official attending the meeting stated, "Regulating the act of subdividing and selling manufactured and distributed cosmetics as ‘manufacturing’ is an excessive regulation," and suggested, "If this regulation is abolished, cosmetics can be sold in reusable containers at more reasonable prices than now."
The industry complains that simply defining subdividing sales as manufacturing makes it difficult to operate related stores. Overseas, including Europe, the use of reusable containers and refill sales are encouraged to reduce the overproduction and use of packaging materials such as plastic.
Accordingly, the Ombudsman announced that it will work with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the relevant authority, to promote improvements to related regulations. Recently, a regulatory sandbox allowing employees who have completed training at customized cosmetics stores that only sell refills to subdivide four types of cosmetics (shampoo, rinse, body cleanser, and liquid soap) was approved by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The Ombudsman expects that the regulation requiring the mandatory hiring of dispensing managers will be abolished within a few months.
Meanwhile, Company A, which operates surface treatment businesses such as shipbuilding equipment and automobile parts, requested the Small and Medium Business Ombudsman to lower environmental liability insurance premiums for low-risk accident-free workplaces. They stated that even companies with low accident rates are burdened by the mandatory subscription and payment of premiums for this insurance. Currently, the government mandates environmental liability insurance for workplaces that install and operate facilities with a high risk of causing environmental pollution. The Ministry of Environment responded at the meeting that it is promoting improvements to environmental liability insurance discount rates, including expanding discount points based on accident-free periods, stepwise discounts according to accident-free periods, and raising the maximum discount rate.
Kim Hee-soon, head of the Ombudsman support team, said, "We will continue to consult with administrative agencies to ensure that the results of the meeting lead to practical regulatory improvements."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
