Mapo-gu Allocates 4.1 Billion Won for COVID-19 Supplementary Budget

Expansion of Quarantine Personnel and Purchase of Quarantine Supplies Worth 1.248 Billion KRW, Support Including 123 Million KRW for Living Expenses of Hospitalized and Isolated Individuals, and 1.672 Billion KRW for Jobs to Minimize Impact on Residents' Safety and Economy Amid COVID-19 Spread

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) announced on the 27th that it will urgently prepare the first supplementary budget plan for 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to recover the weakened local economy, and will take strong measures.

According to the district, the size of this supplementary budget is expected to reach about 4.1 billion KRW.

The district plans to inject emergency funds to minimize the impact on residents' safety and the economic sector due to the spread of COVID-19 and to proactively respond to future situations.

The supplementary budget allocates 1.248 billion KRW for expanding and deploying quarantine personnel and purchasing quarantine supplies, 73 million KRW for protecting and managing Chinese international students, and 123 million KRW for living expense support for COVID-19 related hospitalized and quarantined individuals.

Additionally, to revitalize the weakened local economy, 90 million KRW is allocated for emergency financial support for small and medium-sized business owners, 100 million KRW for expanding the issuance of local currency, and 1.672 billion KRW for job expansion projects closely related to residents' lives.

This supplementary budget will be processed as an agenda item during the 236th Mapo-gu Council extraordinary session (March 2 to March 4).

In early February, Mapo-gu urgently distributed 3,000 hand sanitizers, 60,000 masks, and 30 ear thermometers to the local community to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Along with this prompt financial execution, the district plans to maintain an emergency duty system for all staff and make every effort to prevent the spread of the situation.

Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun of Mapo-gu said, “This supplementary budget is a measure to expand the capacity related to quarantine activities and to more closely monitor the local economic situation in preparation for the potentially prolonged COVID-19 crisis. We will prioritize the safety of residents and continue to seek ways to minimize the impact of the situation.”