The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Small and Medium Enterprise Ombudsman said on the 15th that they finalized the "plan to rationalize on-site regulatory difficulties for small and midsize businesses" at the 9th National Policy Coordination Meeting presided over by the prime minister.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) and the Ombudsman, responding to criticism that small and midsize businesses and microbusiness owners have felt little improvement on the ground despite steady regulatory reforms, jointly reexamined long-unresolved regulatory complaints with relevant agencies and, after consultations, prepared improvement measures.
The regulatory rationalization plan was selected based on criteria such as regulations that align with common sense, regulations that adhere to regulatory objectives while keeping expense low, regulations that corporations as demanders can accept, and regulations that enhance corporations' autonomy and competitiveness. As a result, they decided to improve a total of 79 regulations, including ▲ 21 cases resolving regulatory inconveniences in startups and new industries ▲ 28 cases rationalizing chronic regulations for small and midsize businesses and microbusiness owners ▲ 30 cases streamlining hidden corporate regulations in administrative rules.
First, 21 regulations will be improved in the startup venture and new industry sectors. Online animal medical device retailers will be allowed to use buildings with the purpose of dwellings as business offices. The movement of hazardous chemicals between business sites that have obtained business permits within the same corporation will be permitted, exempting the unnecessary procedure of obtaining a hazardous chemical sales business permit. To enable the construction of eco-friendly polyethylene small fishing boats, safety verification of polyethylene material boats will be required and new structures and standards for boats made of the material will be established.
They will also work to rationalize 28 chronic regulations for small and midsize businesses and microbusiness owners. For corporations that both manufacture and install products, regulations will be eased so they can use their own factory ancillary facilities as offices for electrical, telecommunications, and firefighting construction businesses.
Because electronic promissory note fees imposed a heavier burden on recipient corporations than issuing corporations, recipient payment fees were reduced, and a comprehensive fee reform plan is also under review. Vehicles supplying fuel to ships had been allowed to operate only within a single port without a separate change report, but the operating area restriction for ship fuel suppliers will be abolished so they can operate smoothly at other ports without filing a change report.
Thirty hidden corporate regulations in administrative rules will also be streamlined. To reduce the burden on corporations eliminated during the preliminary qualification screening for multiple-supplier contract bidding, the minimum period before reapplication was shortened from the current 90 days to 60 days. They improved the fact that the reduction of contract deposits for green products, etc., had been operated based on the "Framework Act on Low Carbon, Green Growth," which has been repealed, and aligned it with the current "Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality." In addition, since electronic recording media such as CDs and diskettes, which currently have low utility, are stipulated for submitting review materials for functional cosmetics, the relevant provisions will be revised or deleted.
Minister Han Seong-sook of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) said, "We expect this plan to substantially ease the regulatory difficulties that small and midsize businesses and microbusiness owners feel on the ground." Ombudsman Choi Seung-jae said, "We will work harder so that the competent agencies can positively review tasks that urgently require improvement at corporate worksites."