Revised Bill Passed by National Assembly on the 5th... Additional Special Affairs for Special Cities
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that the partial amendment bill of the "Special Act on Decentralization of Local Autonomy and Reorganization of Local Administrative Systems," which mainly includes the addition of special affairs for special cities, passed the National Assembly on the 5th.
This legal amendment was made as a follow-up measure to the complete revision of the Local Autonomy Act, which defines metropolitan cities with a population of over 1 million as special cities and allows special provisions according to related laws.
So far, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the four special cities have made multifaceted efforts to expand the special affairs of special cities. The Ministry and the four special cities jointly formed the "Special City Support Council," identifying 86 functions and 383 unit tasks over eight sessions, and after collecting opinions from related ministries, Gyeonggi Province, and Gyeongsangnam Province, they requested a review by the Local Autonomy Committee.
The six functions additionally granted as special provisions to special cities in the amended law include tasks related to the development and operation of port facilities at locally managed trade ports based on the Port Act, the Port Transportation Business Act, and the Marine Environment Management Act, as well as tasks related to the management of public waters in port areas of locally managed trade ports based on the Act on the Management of Public Waters and Reclamation.
Additionally, tasks related to the development and operation of logistics complexes based on the Act on the Development and Operation of Logistics Facilities, tasks of imposing and collecting environmental improvement charges based on the Environmental Improvement Cost Burden Act, procedures and review tasks for mountain area use permits based on the Mountainous Districts Management Act, and tasks related to the formation and operation of local construction technology review committees based on the Construction Technology Promotion Act are included.
The amended law will be transferred to the government, promulgated, and come into effect one year after promulgation. Accordingly, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to continuously cooperate with related ministries, provinces, cities, and special cities to ensure the smooth implementation of the amended law.
Choi Hoon, Director of the Local Autonomy and Decentralization Office, said, “Through this amendment to the Local Decentralization Act, it is expected that practical authority will be expanded in special cities, enabling autonomous work centered on residents,” and added, “We will continue consultations with the Local Autonomy Committee and related ministries to grant additional special provisions.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
