Small businesses with annual sales under 300 million won eligible for 200,000-won voucher

Applicants must have registered by Aug. 31 and be operating at time of application

Applications open Sept. 28 through Nov. 6; vouchers issued via Dongbaekjeon policy support funds

A poster for Busan's energy voucher program for small business owners [Busan city government]
A poster for Busan's energy voucher program for small business owners [Busan city government]

Busan city announced Tuesday it will roll out an energy voucher program to ease the financial burden on local small business owners struggling with rising fuel costs.

The program, part of the city's "100-Day Emergency Livelihood Measures," was launched after a third supplementary budget was finalized Sept. 11. It provides a 200,000-won ($144) energy voucher to small business owners with annual sales of 300 million won ($217,000) or less whose businesses are located in Busan.

To qualify, applicants must have completed business registration by Aug. 31 and be actively operating at the time of application. Businesses that have suspended or closed operations are not eligible.

For jointly operated businesses, only one representative per business may apply, and an individual operating multiple businesses may apply for only one. For corporations, only the primary representative may apply; if there are multiple representatives, the one listed first on the business registration certificate is considered the primary representative. Unregistered businesses and those in sectors excluded from small business policy funding — including gambling and adult entertainment — are ineligible.

Applications will be accepted from Sept. 28 through Nov. 6. The vouchers will be issued as Dongbaekjeon policy support funds and can be applied for through the Dongbaekjeon app. During the first week of applications, through Oct. 2, a staggered schedule based on the last digit of the applicant's birth year will be in effect.

Applicants who consent to the Ministry of Interior and Safety's public MyData service and complete simple identity verification will have their National Tax Service-reported sales figures confirmed automatically, with no additional documentation required. Those who do not use the public MyData service must submit their business registration certificate and sales verification documents directly through a separate webpage.

Applicants who apply through the Dongbaekjeon app will receive their vouchers within a few days of applying. Those who apply through other means will receive their vouchers after Nov. 9 to prevent duplicate payments.

The energy vouchers can be used to pay electricity bills and vehicle fuel costs, including gasoline, diesel and LPG. When paying with a Dongbaekjeon card, the voucher balance is deducted first; if the payment exceeds the remaining voucher balance, the difference is drawn from the cardholder's Dongbaekjeon prepaid balance.


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com