청와대 "추경 통과 전제로 긴급재난지원금 5월13일 지급준비"
South Korea's presidential office is ramping up pressure on the National Assembly to pass an extra budget bill as soon as possible so that the government can swiftly hand out emergency relief payments to the South Korean people.
The Blue House hopes to provide support to the most vulnerable starting May 4th... and to the rest of the country's households the following week.
Kim Min-ji reports.
South Korea will be providing COVID-19 emergency relief payments to all households starting in May.
That's assuming the National Assembly passes an extra budget bill to fund the plan by the end of this month.
Seoul's top office said Friday that the government will start accepting applications on May 11th,... with the payments to start two days after that.
But some 2-point-7 million households in the lowest income bracket will be eligible starting May fourth.
"President Moon Jae-in stressed speed and convenience regarding the emergency relief payments so that the people can get the money at the earliest possible date."
The payments are for all households,... but the plan includes a scheme to encourage high-income earners to voluntarily return the payments.
Originally, the government was going to make the payments only to households whose combined income is in the lower 70 percent, but this was expanded under a deal with the ruling party.
The size of the payment differs, but for a household of four, it would be 1 million won, or about 800 U.S. dollars.
The government has submitted a 6-point-2 billion U.S. dollar extra budget bill to cover the initial plan,... with the finance ministry planning to issue bonds worth 2-point-9 billion dollars to make up for the additional costs.
The top office said that in case the extra budget bill is not passed by the end of the April parliamentary session, which lasts until May 15th,... it will consider various options, but did not elaborate.
The remarks from the top office are seen as a move to put pressure on the National Assembly to speed up deliberations on the extra budget bill. Currently, negotiations are being delayed with rival parties at odds over the plan. Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.
