▲ 박영순 국회의원     ©박영순 의원

중기부가 소상공인 재난지원금 환수에 나설 것으로 보인다.

소상공인 재난지원금 환수에 대해 오락가락 말을 바꿔온 이영 중기부 장관이 결국 국정감사에서 “재난지원금 환수를 하겠다”고 입장을 밝히면서 중기부의 재난지원금 환수는 불가피해 보인다.

이같은 사실은 국회 산업통상자원중소벤처기업위원회 소속 박영순 의원(더불어민주당, 대전 대덕)이 10월 27일 중소벤처기업부 종합감사에서 이영 중기부 장관에게 “재난지원금 환수 여부에 대해 확실히 대답하라”고 질의하고, 이영 중기부 장관은 “환수하겠다”고 답변하면서 중기부가 재난지원금 환수에 나설것으로 보인다. 

박영순 의원은 질의에서 그동안 재난지원금 환수와 관련해 이영 중기부 장관이 국회에서 여러차례 말을 바꿔 온 것을 지적했다. 

이영 장관은 8월 결산에서 “재난지원금 환수는 법률(보조금법)에 근거한 것을 집행 안할 권한이 없다, 국회에서 환수 관련 지적이 있었다”며 재난지원금 환수 추진 요지의 답변을 했다. 그러나 9월 예산결산위원회에서는 “계획을 전혀 세우지 않고 있다”고 말을 바꿔 답변했다. 

이후 10월 국감에 들어와서는 10월 12일 여당의원 질의에 “재난지원금 환수 대상, 환수 금액 설정 등 마무리 단계”라며 “철저히 환수하겠다”고 답변했다. 

박영순 의원은 “환수한다고 간 봤다가, 여론 들썩이니 안한다고 했다가, 이제 또 환수… 장관이 오락가락하며 국회와서 말바꾸기 하는 동안, 소상공인 자영업자들은 피눈물 흘리고 있다”고 비판했다. 이 국감 현장에서마저 이영 장관은 “본인은 환수하지 않겠다고 한 적 없다”고 했고, 박 의원이 “회의록에 증거가 있다”고 지적하며 위증 논란을 일으킬수 있는 논쟁을 이어갔다.

박영순 의원은 “대기업 재벌기업 세금은 다 깎아주고, IMF 때도 안 깎은 R&D 예산마저 다 삭감하더니, 이제는 소상공인 지원금을 환수한다며 서민 주머니까지 털어가는 정부”라고 지적했다. 또 “중기부가 환수 결정에 말 바꾸기하며 미루고 있는 이유가 소상공인 반발을 의식해 총선 이후로 환수 시기를 늦추기 위한 꼼수”라며 “아직 코로나19 대출을 갚지 못해 신음하고 있는 소상공인‧자영업자들의 어려운 상황을 감안해 정책결정을 해달라”고 촉구했다. 

*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 seeks recovery of disaster relief funds from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups...

It appears that the Ministry of SMEs and Startups will begin to recover disaster relief funds.

Minister Lee Young of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, who has been going back and forth on the issue of recovering disaster relief funds for small business owners, finally announced his position during the government audit saying, “We will recover the disaster relief funds,” making it seem inevitable that the Ministry of SMEs and Startups will recover the disaster relief funds.

This fact was confirmed by Rep. Park Young-soon (Democratic Party of Korea, Daedeok, Daejeon), a member of the National Assembly's Trade, Industry, Energy, Small and Medium Venture Business Committee, who asked Minister of SMEs and Startups Lee Young, Lee Young, during a comprehensive audit of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups on October 27, "Please give a clear answer on whether disaster relief funds will be recovered." In response to the question, Minister of SMEs and Startups Lee Young responded, “We will recover it,” and it appears that the Ministry of SMEs and Startups will begin to recover the disaster relief funds.

In her inquiry, Rep. Park Young-soon pointed out that Minister of SMEs and Startups Lee Young has changed her words several times in the National Assembly regarding the recovery of disaster relief funds.

In the August settlement of accounts, Minister Lee Young responded to the gist of the push for the recovery of disaster relief funds, saying, “There is no authority to not enforce the recovery of disaster relief funds based on the law (Subsidies Act), and there were indications regarding the recovery in the National Assembly.” However, at the Budget and Settlement Committee meeting in September, they changed their response by saying, “We are not making any plans.”

After the National Assembly audit in October, he responded to a question from a ruling party member on October 12 by saying, “We are in the final stages of setting disaster relief fund recovery targets and the amount to be recovered,” and “We will thoroughly recover the funds.”

Rep. Park Young-soon said, “I said they would refund the money, but they said they wouldn’t do it because public opinion was agitated, and now they’re giving it back again…” “While the minister goes back and forth and changes words in the National Assembly, small business owners and self-employed people are shedding tears of blood,” he criticized. Even at this National Assembly inspection, Minister Lee Young said, “I never said I would not recover the money,” and Rep. Park pointed out, “There is evidence in the meeting minutes,” continuing a debate that could lead to a perjury controversy.

Rep. Park Young-soon pointed out, “This is a government that cut all taxes for large corporations and conglomerates, and even cut the R&D budget that was not cut during the IMF, and is now emptying the pockets of ordinary people by saying it will reclaim subsidies for small business owners.” He also said, “The reason the Ministry of SMEs and Startups is delaying the refund decision by changing its language is a trick to delay the refund period until after the general election, conscious of the backlash from small business owners.” “Please make a decision,” he urged.