First Renewal for 147,000 Onnuri Gift Certificate Stores... Merchant Associations Allowed to Submit in Bulk

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on August 10 that ahead of the first large-scale registration renewal for approximately 147,000 Onnuri gift certificate affiliated stores slated for this coming October, it has streamlined the renewal process by exempting merchants from submitting business registration certificates and sales verification documents.

The Ministry held an inspection meeting earlier today chaired by Vice Minister Lee Byung-kwon on responding to heatwaves in traditional markets and checking the renewal status of Onnuri gift certificate affiliates to review the current status of store registration renewals and support measures.

Following an amendment to the Special Act on the Development of Traditional Markets and Shopping Districts in April 2023, online gift certificate affiliates are required to renew their registration every three years.

Consequently, the registration validity period for about 147,000 affiliated stores will expire for the first time on October 18, requiring them to apply for renewal by October 8, which is 10 days before the expiration date.

To reduce confusion in the field caused by the large-scale renewal, the Ministry utilized the joint administrative information network and MyData so that stores do not need to submit business registration certificates and sales proof documents.

In addition, the procedure was improved to allow merchant associations to collectively accept and submit application forms for their affiliated stores, thereby reducing the burden of individual store applications.

During the renewal period, 20 additional support personnel will be deployed to regional Small and Medium Venture Business Administrations to assist with application guidelines, document review, and supplementation.

Target stores for renewal will be guided through KakaoTalk alert messages and digital Onnuri app push notifications, while cooperation with the Small Enterprise and Market Service, the National Merchants Association, and 16 financial institutions handling Onnuri gift certificates will be strengthened to support application writing and promotional activities.

The Ministry decided to operate a task force for renewing store validity periods, involving the headquarters, regional offices, and the Small Enterprise and Market Service, to monitor the renewal status daily and hold review meetings twice a month.

During the meeting, the safety management situation in traditional markets due to heatwaves was also inspected.

The Ministry is supporting the installation of cooling facilities such as cooling fogs and portable air coolers in individual stores and common areas, and is working with local governments to operate water spray trucks near markets, run ice water sharing refrigerators, and provide heatwave prevention kits to merchants.

Vice Minister Lee Byung-kwon stated, "We will enhance application convenience and strengthen field-oriented guidance and promotion so that all targeted affiliated stores can smoothly complete their renewals within the application deadline."

(Photo provided by Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.