Assemblyman Kim Seung-nam Proposes Amendment to Port Act for Decentralization of 35 Local Ports

With the Enforcement of the Local Transfer Act, Authority Transferred from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Provinces for Locally Managed Trade Ports and Coastal Ports
Some Tasks Related to the Development and Operation of Locally Managed Trade

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] Congressman Kim Seung-nam (Jeonnam Goheung·Boseong·Jangheung·Gangjin) on the 2nd of last month, took the lead in proposing the "Partial Amendment to the Port Act."

With the enforcement of the law for partial amendments to 46 laws, including the "Law on Price Stabilization for the Comprehensive Transfer of Central Administrative Authority and Affairs to Local Governments" (abbreviated as the Local Comprehensive Transfer Act), which had been promoted since 2004 during the Participatory Government, in January this year, the development and operation rights of 17 local management trade ports such as Tongyeong Port and 18 local management coastal ports such as Nokdong New Port, previously managed by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, were transferred from the state to city and provincial governments.

However, as the current Port Act was completely revised last year, there remain legal deficiencies, such as still stipulating the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries as the permit authority for newly created tasks and affairs not included during the review of the Local Comprehensive Transfer Act.

The amendment bill led by Congressman Kim Seung-nam clearly defines the management and operation authority of port facilities in local management ports to cities and provinces to smoothly transfer the development and operation authority of local management port facilities from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to local governments, and supplements the legal deficiencies of the current law by adding affairs that the Local Comprehensive Transfer Act could not include.

Congressman Kim Seung-nam said, "The transfer of authority to local governments is essential to effectively respond to the diverse administrative demands of residents," and added, "I hope that the substantial expansion of local government authority through the amendment will lead to an improvement in the quality of life of local residents."