Gyeonggi Province Government Leads Efforts to Revive Local Economy Frozen by COVID-19
Suwon NewsPublished 2020.02.17 06:34
Provincial Government Office Cafeteria Closures, Use of External Restaurants... 250 Books Donated to Self-Quarantined ResidentsPromotion of Icheon Agricultural Specialty Product Purchases...Icheon Tourist Destination Campaign Underway
[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Gyeonggi Province has taken major steps to revive the local economy that has been depressed by COVID-19.
The province announced on the 17th that it has established a "plan to revive local commercial areas through employee participation," including weekly closures of the provincial government office cafeteria and purchases of Icheon agricultural specialty products, with both short-term and mid-to-long-term measures prepared.
As a short-term measure to be implemented temporarily until March, every Friday will be designated as a closed day for the provincial government office cafeteria, with employees using nearby restaurants instead.
Additionally, designated days for external restaurant use will be assigned by each department to help boost sales of small business owners and create an atmosphere for revitalizing the commercial sector.
The provincial government office cafeteria serves approximately 1,000 people daily on average, and when they use nearby restaurants and traditional markets, it is expected to generate approximately 30 million won monthly in local commercial area sales, contributing significant positive effects to the local economy.
In addition, to support the distribution channels of agricultural and livestock products in Icheon City, where a temporary residential facility for Wuhan residents is located, cafeteria ingredients will be purchased from Icheon products first, and a Saturday marketplace and permanent sales pavilion will be operated in the government building to promote purchases of Icheon agricultural specialty products.
In the mid-to-long term, various provincial events will be held in Icheon City until the situation is resolved, and a "Visit Icheon Tourist Destinations" campaign will be launched to encourage provincial and public institution employees to visit Icheon during weekends and holidays.
After the situation is resolved, the province plans to implement early departure on two days per week (Wednesday and Friday) for Family Day and collective flexible work systems to encourage consumer spending in local commercial areas.
Earlier, on the 14th, the province collected approximately 250 books from provincial government office employees and distributed them to self-quarantined residents through the Gyeonggi Province Volunteer Center. This book donation initiative was designed to help residents find psychological stability and emotional comfort while isolated.
A provincial official stated, "In a situation where the difficulties of local merchants are increasing, as public officials, we decided to implement measures such as cafeteria closures and use of traditional markets to contribute what little we can," and added, "If public officials take the lead in using traditional markets and such, it will not only help small business owners but also help residents overcome their anxiety."
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