Rep. Lee -jae

The main thrust of the Park Geun-hye government’ s policies on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is to let SMEs climb the ladder of growth, to offer support tailored to satisfy their needs, and to enable globalization, said Rep. Lee Hyun-jae of the ruling Saenuri Party.

Rep. Lee, former administrator of the Small & Medium Business Administration, drew up the blueprint for the new government’ s policies toward SMEs while serving as the chief of President-elect Park’ s transition team’ s 2nd economic subcommittee. Elected as a lawmaker of the 19th Parliament from Hanam City in the 2012 general election, Kim now sits on the National Assembly Knowledge Economy Committee.

He said, “The foremost thing involving policies is direction and continuity. In this vein, the Park Geun-hye government’ s policies toward SMEs make a difference compared with the previous ones.” He said the new government decided on a double-post economic axis structure of large-sized companies and SMEs, shifting from a focus on large-sized companies, and one of the key polices for SMEs is to pave the way for smaller firms to become mid-sized stars and continue to grow into large-sized companies with a competitive edge. To do so, he said, it is essential to protect SMEs from large-sized companies’  infringements and provide support to SMEs so that they can secure competitiveness. Rep. Kim noted that the new government will carry out these policies consistently and without fail.

“Psy, the singer of “Gangnam Style,” has become a sensation thanks to a government department supporting him, so the government has to lay the groundwork to help SMEs evolve into word-class stars by helping them realize and demonstrate their dreams and talents, as Psy has done,” he said. Rep. Lee stressed that the government has come up with steps to strengthen punitive damages lest SMEs crumble in their initial stages at the hands of the existing conglomerates and to allow SME cooperatives to negotiate subcontractors’  unit prices on behalf of each smaller company.

Arbitrating conglomerates’  intrusions into business areas reserved for SMEs within two months and ordering business suspension in case large-sized firms infringe on the turf of mom and pop shops are unprecedented steps, he said.

Rep. Lee noted that working-level government officials will have to live up to President Park’ s willingness to implement policies favoring SMEs. All government officials from the Small & Medium Business Administration, the Financial Services Commission, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Resources, the Ministry of Land and Transport, and the Fair Trade Commission will have to hold frequent meetings with SME businessmen and listen to their voices on what problems and woes they are confronted with and on how best to solve them.

Now that the transition team has already set the direction of policies toward SMEs, he said, he will do his utmost in helping the National Assembly legislate the SME policies. He said he will play leading roles in submitting as many proposals related to SMEs to the parliament as possible.

Meanwhile, Rep. Lee held a session to give briefings on his parliamentary activities to his constituents in Hanam, Gyeonggi-do, on March 9.

The session covered Rep. Lee’ s parliamentary activities in 2012, his job as the chief of President-elect Park’ s transition team’ s 2nd economic subcommittee, the progress on the president’ s election pledges, and future plans.

Rep. Lee Hyun-jae, (at the rostrum), chief of President-elect Park’s transit team’s 2nd economic subcommittee, announces the new government’s policies on ushering an era of people’s happiness and hope.

Rep. Lee specified the relocation of a combined cycle power plant in the Misa District, an increase in government support for the planned extension of Seoul subway line 5 to Hanam City, and the securing of 7.1 billion won for the implementation of such projects as the modernization of the traditional Shinjang and Deokpung markets.

[ Photots on courtesy of Rep. Lee Hyun-jae’s Office]