The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said it will expand the "Small business fresh start support center" to 78 locations nationwide and begin operations on the 29th to strengthen on-site counseling for small business owners in management crises who need a fresh start or debt adjustment.
The "Small business fresh start support center" was launched in May last year to support smooth restarts for small business owners in management crises and to assist with debt adjustment such as individual rehabilitation and bankruptcy. To respond to rising demand for debt adjustment, including individual rehabilitation, the number of centers will be expanded from the current 30 to 78.
The center provides counseling on matters such as closure, restart, and debt adjustment for small business owners in management crises. With financial and legal experts, it offers in-depth debt adjustment counseling to help establish repayment plans tailored to small business owners' asset and debt status, and it supports the entire process from preparing the application required for debt adjustment to filing with the court.
Lee Byeong-gweon, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) Vice Minister, inspected operations firsthand after attending the opening and signboard ceremonies for new centers. Observing the counseling site, Lee said, "Please ensure the center serves as a tightly knit guide so that small business owners do not miss the golden time for a fresh start due to complex support procedures and a lack of information."
At the subsequent on-site roundtable, officials also listened to a range of views while meeting with small business owners struggling with liability repayment and management crises.
The Vice Minister said, "We will use the valuable on-site opinions gathered today as fertilizer for policy and push support measures that small business owners can feel in practice," adding, "We will make every effort to enhance operations so that the 78 centers nationwide become a strong 'stepping stone for a fresh start' that helps small business owners fully recover."