Baek Jong-han, Vice Chairman of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Seo-gu Council, advocated for the "necessity of revitalizing the social economy for solving multifaceted regional issues and sustainable development" during a 5-minute free speech at the 2nd plenary session of the 324th assembly held on the 23rd.
In his speech, Vice Chairman Baek stated, "Despite global efforts to activate social solidarity economy entities, our government is drastically cutting the budget related to the social economy. This regressive move is deeply concerning," and emphasized, "We must support and revitalize organizations that play roles in 'creating social common benefits' and 'realizing social values.'"
He continued, "There is an urgent need for practical support systems such as labor cost assistance, market development, and public procurement for organizations established for coexistence with all social members rather than pursuing economic profit."
He also proposed ▲establishing customized support systems for each organization ▲stable establishment of intermediary support organizations ▲discovering and supporting sizable organizations, asserting that "support for organizations should be at least on par with the budget and personnel levels of small business management support centers."
However, contrary to the necessity of revitalizing the social economy, the government, following the '4th Basic Plan for Social Enterprises' announced by the Ministry of Employment and Labor in September last year, shifted the paradigm of social enterprise support towards 'securing self-sustainability' and cut the related budget by 53.3% in 2024.
Vice Chairman Baek is serving as the chairman of the 'Social Economy Special Committee' at the Democratic Party Seo-gu Eul Regional Committee to promote the activation of organizations.
Shin Dong-ho, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy bless4ya@asiae.co.kr
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