By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
The government will provide the low-income bracket with 716 billion won ($ 482 million) to help overcome financial woes in the winter, officials said Thursday.
The plan to subsidize heating allowances and educational expenses came as the global financial crisis hit the nation and triggered an economic downturn.
``Even though the 2009 budget has not been confirmed yet, the ruling camp decided to assist the low-income bracket with unused portions from this year's budget,'' Rep. Hwang Young-chul of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) told reporters.
Under the plan, about 86,000 people with subsidized basic living expenses will receive 60,000 won each per month for heating bills and nearly one million households will be given 77,000 won a month in energy subsidies.
The underprivileged will also receive subsidies to pay for educational expenses for elementary school students and children in day-care centers.
In addition, more than 200 billion will be spent to create public jobs and provide the unemployed with allowances.
The government and the party also agreed to proceed with the subsidy project, which is expected to inject 2.2 trillion won until next March.
The ruling camp will establish a task force to review social safety nets to protect low income earners.
``The subsidy plan decided on today is not satisfactory but we are mulling over more welfare policies to support the poor,'' GNP Chairman Park Hee-tae said.
The meeting of the ruling camp was attended by Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, Finance Minister Kang Man-soo and senior GNP officials.