Minister Han Seong-suk emphasized that she would make drastic improvements so that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can feel the changes in the delivery system for SME support projects on the ground.
On the 21st, Minister Han noted this at a field meeting held on the topic of improving the delivery system for SME support projects. About 15 participants, including policy users and experts from various fields of SME policy and officials from related organizations, attended the meeting.
Since taking office, Minister Han has been conducting 'on-site tours of SME policies.' She previously focused on topics including technology theft, responding to export crises, and the transition of manufacturing to artificial intelligence and digital transformation.
During this fourth meeting, participants shared the difficulties they experience on the ground. Specifically, they discussed ▲ administrative burdens when applying for support projects ▲ sharing cases of undue third-party interference ▲ the necessity of utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology to select innovative corporations ▲ and the information imbalance regarding SME support projects.
The need to search for and simplify application procedures for support project information, which is dispersed across various ministries and agencies, emerged as the first topic of discussion. The procedures are complicated, and the administrative burden is significant, from confirming support project announcements to reviewing eligibility requirements and submitting various supporting documents.
Jeong Seung-ho, CEO of The Capsule, which operates capsule hotels, said, 'Since support projects are announced through various channels, it is difficult to find the necessary projects. It would be great if we could see announcements in one integrated channel based on our business history, size, and industry.'
Concerns were also raised about the lack of continuity in government projects. Oh Gyeong-jin, CEO of Taelim Industries, which leads the smart factory transition in the Changwon National Industrial Complex, mentioned, 'In the past, a president and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups visited our business site together, but another ministry once demanded that we remove the term 'smart factory' because it is a term used by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.'
He added, 'It seems that words used for projects disappear when the administration changes, and I've felt a lot of problems regarding project continuity.'
There were also mentions of some brokers or application agencies for support projects demanding excessive fees or applying for projects with false documents. There were calls for strengthening management and supervision to prevent this.
Kim Jeong-hyuk, CEO of Cyber Tech Friend, which develops corporate management solutions, explained, 'Some brokers demand a commission of 15%. If project management or progress is monitored through associations under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, SMEs will be able to go through official channels without using brokers.'
The necessity of selecting innovative corporations utilizing cutting-edge technologies such as AI was also discussed. The aim is to improve the current evaluation system, which is centered around evaluators, to objectively assess corporations' technological capabilities and growth potential through data analysis, and to prioritize resources for enterprises with high potential.
Minister Han said, 'The support delivery system means the entire process from recognizing the policies and support SMEs need, finding related information, applying, and finally being selected.'
She added, 'The goal of our government is to ensure that this process is easy and accurately provides the necessary help from start to finish, and saving even a second of the policy customers' time is public service innovation. I will personally monitor everything from A to Z to ensure that SMEs and small business owners do not have to wait any longer.'
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to share the opinions presented at this meeting with related ministries and establish improvement measures distinguishing between short-term and medium- to long-term tasks.