floor

April 3 (Asia Today) — Song Eon-seok, floor leader of the People Power Party, on Thursday criticized the government’s proposed 26.2 trillion won (about $19.6 billion) supplementary budget, calling it a “misguided plan” that relies on cash handouts instead of addressing the impact of high oil prices.

Speaking at a party strategy meeting at the National Assembly, Song said the proposal “diagnoses high oil prices but prescribes cash handouts,” arguing that it fails to support those most affected by rising fuel costs.

He said the government has become overly focused on distributing cash while neglecting vulnerable groups, adding that one-time payments of 100,000 won (about $75) would not meaningfully help people facing mounting living costs.

Song also criticized the exclusion of workers directly impacted by fuel prices, including truck drivers, delivery workers and taxi drivers, from key support measures.

“We will transform this supplementary budget from a war-related or election-driven budget into a ‘people’s survival budget,'” he said, pledging to shift from broad cash payments to targeted assistance.

He said the party would seek to cut spending items deemed unrelated to high oil prices during the review process, including renewable energy projects, independent film production support and regional development programs in Changwon. Savings from those cuts, he added, would be redirected to groups most affected by fuel price increases.

Song proposed expanding the fuel tax reduction from 15% to 30% and providing fuel subsidies of 600,000 won (about $450) to roughly 700,000 workers in transportation and delivery sectors.

He also suggested additional support measures, including subsidies for delivery and takeout packaging costs for about 670,000 self-employed business owners, as well as a 50% discount on the K-Pass public transportation program for six months.

Regarding the government’s plan to implement an odd-even license plate driving system, Song said the policy should be reconsidered. If implemented, he said, it should be accompanied by adequate compensation for affected citizens.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260403010000948

Prem clubs have agreed to introduce a ‘salary floor’ – a minimum amount each team must spend on players’ wages – from next season in an attempt to keep the top flight as closely fought as possible.

Each club will be obliged to spend £5.4m a season on talent.

The salary cap – a £6.4m limit on squad spending, albeit with ‘credits’ on offer for home-grown talent and other factors which stretch the restriction to £7.8m – will remain the same.

Failure to spend up to the salary floor will be punished by a fine equivalent to the difference between a club’s squad spend and the lower limit, incentivising clubs to invest in their squads.

Several clubs are likely to need to pay more to meet the new lower figure.

Last season, Bristol boss Pat Lam estimated that eventual champions and the Bears’ semi-final conquerors Bath spent “close to £3m more than we have on our squad”., external

While bottom side Newcastle have brought in a raft of new players since energy drink giant Red Bull took over in August, they are still thought to be well short of a £5.4m wage bill.

While such prescriptions over squad spending are rare in UK sport, they are more common overseas.

The NRL, Australia’s elite rugby league competition, requires its clubs to spend at least 95% of its salary cap figure. In American Football’s NFL, it is set at 90%.

Prem Rugby hopes that, with relegation to be formally scrapped next season, greater payroll parity will improve the competitive balance of the top flight.

A divide has opened up in the table this season with four teams – Newcastle Red Bulls, Harlequins, Gloucester and Sale – cut adrift of the play-off race with seven rounds of the season to go.

Sixth-placed Saracens, who are eight points off the top four, could have their hopes of extending their campaign all but ended this weekend if they lose to leaders Northampton.

Introducing a salary floor is reflective of renewed confidence in the league’s future, with billionaire industrialist James Dyson having become co-owner of Bath this month and further investment in Prem clubs believed to be in the pipeline.

The league intends to add two teams to its current 10 in the 2029-30 season if a wrangle with the second-tier Champ can be smoothed out.

While it has been agreed that any new entrants to the Prem must complete a campaign in the Champ first, it is yet to be agreed how high a team would have to finish to demonstrate their on-field credentials, with Prem Rugby chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor believing a top-six finish and qualification for the Champ play-offs “would be the natural thing”.

Massie-Taylor is keen to build on this weekend’s ‘big game’ concept, with Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium earmarked as a possible host for neutral-venue Prem semi-finals from 2029.

Saracens are staging Saturday’s match against Saints at the 63,000-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while Gloucester are hosting Leicester at Villa Park and Bristol will take their match against Harlequins to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on the same day.

Harlequins put on two of their regular-season fixtures at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium, which also hosts June’s Prem final.