County Council Unable to Review Most of the 2021 2nd Supplementary Budget as 'Recycled' Budget
Gijang-gun Has Only One Project Continuously Requested Through the Original Budget and 1st Supplementary Budget
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] “During the COVID-19 crisis, with public livelihood issues piling up like a mountain, are we supposed to just receive our salaries without doing any work?”
The Busan Gijang County Council’s rejection of the 2nd supplementary budget proposal, calling it a ‘rehash of the 1st proposal,’ has sparked strong backlash from Gijang County. They even angrily stated that it is a “council that doesn’t even look at the budget proposal.”
According to Gijang County, the 2nd supplementary budget proposal submitted to the council on the 9th mainly consists of new projects and ongoing projects.
The 2nd supplementary budget proposal submitted by Gijang County amounts to 25.2 billion KRW, and the projects that were cut from the main budget or the 1st supplementary budget but were re-requested due to necessity total only 713 million KRW. The council’s reason for rejection, claiming the entire budget proposal was just a ‘rehash,’ was countered as a bullying-style ‘gapjil’ against the county administration.
A Gijang County official also stated, “We cannot understand this unless it is an emotional act of ‘opposition for the sake of opposition,’ and this will directly harm the residents.”
Gijang County claims that the only project continuously requested through the main budget and the 1st supplementary budget is the creation of the Jang-an Healing Forest, costing 109 million KRW.
Also, among the amounts cut from the 1st supplementary budget, the projects re-requested in the 2nd supplementary budget total 604 million KRW, which include the installation of park and green space signboards in Ilgwang New Town (300 million KRW), installation of signboards at major tourist spots and public facilities (259 million KRW), and support for posture correction auxiliary devices for employees (45 million KRW).
The 2nd supplementary budget proposal focuses on overcoming the economic crisis through early deployment and immediate execution of available resources, as well as the urgent allocation of COVID-19 response funds, in accordance with government policy.
Ongoing local projects included in this budget are: △ Construction of Gijang Bit·Mul·Kkum Comprehensive Social Welfare Center in Gijang-eup (6 billion KRW), △ Development of the Dongnam Radiation Medical and Scientific General Industrial Complex (2.7 billion KRW), △ Construction of Ilgwangcheon Stream walking trail (1 billion KRW), △ Opening of Jang-an Wolnae Village district unit plan road (So2-344 line) (900 million KRW), △ Opening of Cheolma Imgi Village district unit plan road (So1-71 line) (600 million KRW), △ Ecological stream maintenance project upstream of Jwagwangcheon (450 million KRW), among others.
New projects include: △ COVID-19 vaccination project (210 million KRW), △ Ilgwang New Town detention basin drying and maintenance project planned for repair, improvement, management, and operation of facilities received from Busan Urban Corporation (2.5 billion KRW), △ Installation of air curtains and heated seats at Ilgwang New Town bus stops (200 million KRW), △ Maintenance project for Ilgwang small stream (Samsungcheon) (1 billion KRW).
Other national and city subsidy projects include: △ Urban regeneration new deal project (750 million KRW), △ Dredging projects for local retention ponds and streams (380 million KRW), △ Busan-type integrated care pilot project (100 million KRW), △ Modernization project for senior citizen centers (100 million KRW), etc.
Governor Oh said, “The so-called ‘rehash proposal’ claimed by the county council through certain media is mostly a budget reflecting residents’ demands that Gijang public officials reviewed through overtime work without weekends,” and criticized, “While councils in other local governments are urging the executive branch to quickly allocate budgets and work during the COVID-19 crisis, only the Gijang County Council is acting oppositely.”
He also questioned, “The central government and other local governments are trying everything to revive the depressed livelihood economy due to COVID-19, even issuing debt, but Gijang County has resources yet tries to keep them locked in the treasury. What exactly are we supposed to do?”
Governor Oh lamented, “There are urgent issues piling up every minute, but refusing to review the budget proposal is like telling public officials to just receive their salaries and not work.”
Although Governor Oh held a one-person protest in front of the Gijang County Council, since the review was not conducted during this extraordinary session, he plans to request the review of the supplementary budget proposal again at the next extraordinary session.
Gijang County announced that it will exert efforts to ensure that the supplementary budget proposal can be reviewed by the county council even within May.
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