▲ 박영순 국회의원     ©박영순 의원

내년에도 정부가 지역사랑상품권(지역화폐) 예산 전액 삭감을 추진함에 따라 소상공인들의 반발 여론이 비등하고 있는 가운데, 소상공인 주무 부처인 중소벤처기업부는 이와 관련 아무런 의견 개진조차 안 한 것으로 드러났다.

국회 산업통상자원중소벤처기업위원회 소속 박영순 의원(더불어민주당, 대전 대덕)이 행정안전부와 중소벤처기업부에 받은 국정감사 자료에 따르면, 중기부는 지역사랑상품권 예산편성을 담당하는 행안부에 예산편성 요청은 물론, 예산삭감에 대한 일체의 반대의견조차 내지 않은 것으로 밝혀졌다. 

박 의원에 따르면, 중기부는 올해 3차례 행안부에서 지역사랑상품권 이용 활성화에 관한 법률과 시행령 개정을 추진하며 전 부처를 대상으로 의견 조회를 실시했으나, 이에 대해서도 회신조차 하지 않은 것으로 드러났다. 

지역화폐로 알려진 지역사랑상품권은 2018년부터 고용위기지역을 대상으로 국고지원을 시작해 코로나19가 발생한 2020년 이후 국고지원 규모를 대폭 확대했으며, 지역경제 활성화와 소상공인의 매출 증대에 직접적으로 기여하는 등 효율적인 정책 수단으로 평가받고 있다. 그러나 지난해 정부에서 건전재정을 이유로 지역사랑상품권 예산 전액 삭감을 추진해, 야당과 지자체, 소상공인들의 거센 반발을 불러 일으켰다.

박영순 의원은 “중기부의 소상공인 관련 그 어떤 사업보다도 지역사랑상품권에 대한 소상공인의 수요와 만족도가 높다”며 “예산편성과 관련한 주무 부처가 행정안전부라고 할지라도, 700만 소상공인을 관할하는 중기부에서 예산편성이나 법률 개정에 대해 아무런 의견조차 개진하지 않은 것은 심각한 문제”라고 지적했다. 

박영순 국회의원은 또 “윤석열 정부 출범 이후 부처 간 업무협조가 잘 이뤄지지 않는다는 지적들이 꾸준히 있었다. 하지만 부처 간 업무협조가 안 이뤄지는 것과 애당초 의견 개진조차 하지 않은 것은 큰 차이”라며 “이번 일은 변명의 여지가 없는 중기부의 명백한 직무유기”라고 비판했다. 

*아래는 위 기사를 '구글 번역'으로 번역한 영문 기사의 [전문]입니다. '구글번역'은 이해도를 높이기를 위해 노력하고 있습니다. 영문 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 전제로 합니다.<*The following is [the full text] of the English article translated by 'Google Translate'. 'Google Translate' is working hard to improve understanding. It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation.>

National Assembly member Park Young-soon, “The Ministry of SMEs and Startups only protects small business owners with words...”

Consistently silent on cutting the entire local currency budget... clear dereliction of duty

As the government plans to cut the entire budget for local love gift certificates (local currency) this year and next year, public opposition from small business owners is growing, and it has been revealed that the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the ministry in charge of small business, has not even expressed any opinion in this regard.

According to the National Assembly audit data received from the Ministry of Public Administration and Security and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups by Representative Park Young-soon (Democratic Party of Korea, Daedeok, Daejeon), a member of the Trade, Industry, Energy and Small and Medium Venture Business Committee of the National Assembly, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups requested budget allocation from the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, which is in charge of budget allocation for local love gift certificates. Of course, it was revealed that they did not even express any opposition to the budget cut.

According to Rep. Park, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups conducted an opinion inquiry targeting all ministries three times this year while pushing for the revision of the law and enforcement ordinance on the activation of the use of local love gift certificates by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, but it was revealed that no response was even given to them.

Local Love Gift Certificates, known as local currency, began providing government support to regions with employment crisis in 2018, and have significantly expanded the amount of government support since 2020 when COVID-19 broke out, directly contributing to revitalizing the local economy and increasing sales of small business owners. It is evaluated as an efficient policy tool. However, last year, the government pushed to cut the entire budget for local love gift certificates for sound fiscal reasons, sparking strong opposition from the opposition party, local governments, and small business owners.

Representative Park Young-sun said, “The demand and satisfaction of small business owners for local love gift certificates is higher than any other project related to small business owners by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.” He added, “Even if the ministry in charge of budget preparation is the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, which has jurisdiction over 7 million small business owners, is responsible for the budget. He pointed out, “It is a serious problem that no opinion has been expressed on programming or law revision.”

National Assembly member Park Young-soon also said, “Since the inauguration of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, there have been constant criticisms that inter-ministerial work cooperation is not working well. However, there is a big difference between the lack of cooperation between ministries and the failure to even express opinions in the first place,” he criticized, adding, “This is a clear dereliction of duty by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups for which there is no room for excuses.”