SEOUL– Major supermarket chains are preparing to offer up to a 50 percent discount during the Lunar New Year holiday, a ruling party lawmaker said Tuesday, promising various economic support for ordinary people.
“The party and the government will come up with measures to attentively look after people’s livelihoods so they will not spend a cold New Year holiday due to the effects of the economic recession,” Rep. Sung Il-jong of the People Power Party said after a policy consultation meeting at the National Assembly.
The Lunar New Year holiday will run from Jan. 21 through Jan. 24 this year.
The PPP asked the government to expand the supply of popular goods during the holiday, including eggs, as well as fishery and agricultural products, according to Sung.
Major supermarket chains that attended the meeting also said they will consider providing up to a 50 percent discount to help relieve people’s economic burden.
According to Sung, the government and the ruling party also discussed helping about 1.18 million low-income households pay energy bills, and suspending highway tolls and parking lot fees during the period in consideration of the massive migration expected across the country.
The government plans to officially announce the discussed measures Wednesday.
Source: Yonhap News Agency