The number of consecutive terms a part-time NongHyup head can serve will be capped at two. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said on the 12th that a bill to amend the Agricultural Cooperative Act containing this measure passed the National Assembly's plenary session. Until now, there had been no limit on the number of consecutive terms for part-time heads.
The amendment also includes measures to increase transparency in the management of member cooperative support funds that the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation provides to regional cooperatives. It requires that the method of raising these interest-free funds, as well as management plans and allocation criteria, be disclosed to members.
Along with the legal revision, the government plans to revamp the overall management system for NongHyup operations. Centered on the NongHyup reform task force launched last month, it said it will prepare additional measures to improve the election system and strengthen internal and external controls.
On the same day, a law to promote online wholesale transaction of agricultural and fishery products was also passed. It is a new law that provides the legal basis for online wholesale markets for agricultural and fishery products.
Online wholesale markets have so far been operated under a regulatory sandbox program. The government believes that the enactment of this law will secure the system's stability and continuity.
A bill on fostering and supporting the companion animal-related industry also passed the plenary session. The law is designed to systematically foster the companion animal feed, supplies, and services industries, and it includes key provisions such as startup support, training of specialized personnel, and assistance for overseas expansion.
Along with this, an amendment to the Agricultural and Fishing Villages Improvement Act was also approved. It changes the authority to establish basic plans for farmland production infrastructure improvement projects covering beneficiary areas of 30 hectares (ha) or more and less than 50 hectares from local governments to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The related project costs will be jointly borne by the state and local governments.