|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
상세정보
| Cautious Attitude is needed in Restricting Company Owners |
| Date |
2004/03/12 14:20
|
Hit |
2401 |
|
Cautious Attitude is needed in Restricting Company Owners
People뭩 jobs reflect the reality of their societies; countless street vendors standing along roadsides and randomly-hanging banners bearing telephone numbers of drivers who are ready to substitute for drunken car owners describe difficulties of commoners?livelihood in Korea. In spite of this, uncertainty curbing economic recovery shows no sign of disappearing.
Amid national concern over how strong measures would be imposed into company owners, who had furnished illegal presidential campaign funds, President Roh Moo-hyun clarified his position by saying 밒 do not want to see prosecution investigation bringing about direct punishment of company owners.?
I want to accept his phrase as outcomes of the highest governmental authority뭩 밺eep thinking? in order to minimize negative impact on economy. However, his action can be regarded as appealing gesture especially when investigation on politicians is almost finished like now.
Unfortunately, it is unavoidable that this issue is accompanied with political intention because illegal campaign funds scandal broke out in face of general election. Since law is equal to all, company owners violating the law should be punished according to the law. Because of negative impact on economy, if they receive acquittals, commoners would be suffering from serious frustration when they compare themselves with those privileged.
However, restriction of those privileged cannot provide primary solution. Unless overhauling mechanism, in which inferior politics wields economic operation freely, from its foundation, their restriction can be nothing but a catharsis; because the same problem may repeat regularly
The reason of why previous reform of illegal political funds failed was, rater than focusing on institutional reform, it weighed heavily in the sack of corrupted politicians. Accordingly, prior to punishment to company owners, institutional reform is badly needed so as to prevent recurring of the same problems. To tackle problem through this way, we should examine seriously what caused illegal campaign funds prevailing.
Despite its high-cost political structure, Korea has stuck to low-cost political system with keen consideration on common people뭩 complaints. However, without settling environment in which a large number of people are allowed to donate small amount of funds, politicians have no choice but to rely on enterprisers due to party뭩 financial difficulties.
Under circumstances, in which the fate of companies depends on political powers, companies?providing illegal political funds was destined to appear in Korea society, especially in order to avoid any disadvantages. However, in the recent investigation, the centerpiece of debate was the matter of the top-4 conglomerates. Because those companies are already developed as international competitive companies, it is highly unlikely that they furnished illegal funds to political power to get special benefits out of them.
In this context, why they did? Although companies?providing illegal funds is unpreventable due to vertical relations between political power and company owners, I am wondering now why they were not able to say 뱊o?to unjust demands from politicians. This helps me assume that companies also may have had some weak points.
This point can be the epicenter of anti-enterpriser sentiment among commoners. In order to prevent recurring such problems, the government should minimize intervention in market and seek not convenience but principle in terms of adopting policies.
When the government carries out fundamental reforms in systems regarding regulations for market intervention and approving or authorizing process and, in addition, industrial environment is no longer being determined by lobbies, the fate of companies is finally decided by market mechanism and be free from shackle of illegal campaign funds scandals.
Moreover, companies should keep it mind that increasing transparency within corporations themselves is the strongest way to protect political power from intervening economic sector. In fact, the issue regarding how to punish those who gave illegal political funds can be equivalent to that of 밪amarian women.?We cannot forgive them but they should be dealt with differently from politicians, mainly due to current dismal economic situation. Since 1995, potentiality of further economic growth has been drastically decreased. We can be no longer wait and see and, thus, promptly take an action to create job opportunities. Considering high dependency on international economic situation, Korea should make the best use of recent recovery in world economy. If current situation maintains further, however, economic sectors will lose a chance
Hence, it can be a proper way that while allowing business sector to operate according to principles, the prosecution investigation on them continues. Now, the nation even wants to import politicians and, further, it may make enterprisers feel frustrated in running companies in Korea. If inferior politics continue to oppress the spirit of enterprise, we will have no bright future.
Cho Dong-geun (Professor in Economics of Myungji University)
Source ?The Korean Economic Daily 2004/3/8, Editorial
|
|
|
|
|
|
About CUBS
