The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 22nd it held a roundtable to gather tasks to improve the consumer cooperative (co-op) system.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) held this roundtable with the five major consumer cooperative federations (the federations). It was the first official communication venue since April, when a revision to the "Consumer Cooperatives Act" to transfer jurisdiction over consumer cooperatives from the Korea Fair Trade Commission to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) passed the National Assembly's plenary session.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) plans to reflect on-the-ground difficulties faced by co-ops in areas such as regional economies, medical care, and care services in policy, and to discuss ways to revitalize the regional, cooperative-based ecosystem.
At the roundtable, participants discussed deregulation and support measures to expand co-ops' self-sufficiency and improve member services. Attendees formed a consensus on the need to design policies that reflect co-op operating structures and on-the-ground characteristics.
The federations said that as the lead ministry shifts from the Korea Fair Trade Commission to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), which oversees policies supporting corporations, co-ops are expected to strengthen their role and identity as cooperative-type enterprise beyond consumer organizations.
Minister Han Seong-sook of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) said, "Co-ops are important social solidarity economy corporations that have realized economic and social value across various areas of their regions," and added, "Based on our policy experience supporting the competitiveness of cooperatives such as small and medium enterprise cooperatives, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) will work to broaden the foundation for the growth of cooperatives, including co-ops."
Meanwhile, the "Consumer Cooperatives Act" was promulgated on the 12th. It will take effect starting Nov. 13, six months after promulgation. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) plans to review the on-site opinions raised that day and reflect them when drawing up the forthcoming "Plan for the Development of Consumer Cooperatives."