On-Site Meeting on Improving SME Policy Delivery System
Calls for Measures Against Unfair Third-Party Intervention
and Evaluation Using Artificial Intelligence
Representatives from the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector met with Minister Han Seongsuk of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups to request the simplification of procedures and improvement of systems for SME support programs. Minister Han responded by pledging to prepare improvement measures in cooperation with relevant ministries as soon as possible.
Minister Han Seongsuk of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups is speaking at the "1st Relay Meeting for Strengthening the Recovery and Safety Net of Small Business Owners." Photo by Jo Yongjun
On August 21, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups held an on-site meeting with representatives from various SME sectors under the theme of "Improving the Policy Delivery System for SMEs." The meeting was attended by 15 people, including policy beneficiaries, experts, and officials from related organizations. Participants shared difficulties experienced in the field and discussed issues such as the administrative burden when applying for support programs, cases of unfair third-party intervention, the need to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) technology to identify innovative companies, and information asymmetry regarding SME support programs.
The attendees unanimously pointed out that the procedures-from checking program announcements, reviewing eligibility requirements, to submitting various supporting documents-are complicated and administratively burdensome. They emphasized the need to strengthen administrative information linkage and simplify documentation.
There were also opinions that some brokers or agencies that assist with applications for support programs demand excessive fees or submit false documents, and that stronger management and supervision are needed to prevent such cases.
The necessity of using advanced technologies such as AI to identify innovative companies was also discussed. The suggestion was to improve the current evaluation system, which is centered on evaluation committee members, to an AI-based system that can objectively assess a company's technological capabilities and growth potential, and to prioritize support for companies with high growth potential, given limited resources.
Additionally, the need to integrate and enhance accessibility to information on SME support programs was raised. The proposal is to build an integrated platform where information on support programs, currently dispersed across various ministries and agencies, can be searched and applied for in one place, thereby reducing the information gap and improving accessibility. Lastly, there were broad opinions on the need to improve the overall institutional framework, including the gap between the current SME support policy system and on-site realities.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to share the opinions presented at this meeting with relevant ministries and prepare improvement measures by distinguishing between short-term and mid-to-long-term tasks, with the intention of quickly implementing actionable items.
Minister Han stated, "Innovating public services means saving even a single second of our policy customers' time," adding, "We will make groundbreaking improvements from A to Z so that tangible changes in the SME support delivery system can be felt in the field."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
