Gangwon-do, Following Livelihood Stability, 'Full-Scale Response to Price Stabilization'

Freeze on Public Utility Charges in 6 Regions Maintained... Price Hikes Postponed to Second Half
Price Trends Provided for Key Items in 16 Sectors... Operation of Inflation Monitoring Agents

Gangwon Provincial Government

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Gangwon Province is making an all-out effort to stabilize prices following the stabilization of people's livelihoods.

The province is concerned that the difficulties of the low-income economy will worsen due to expanding domestic and international economic uncertainties, unstable agricultural product prices caused by heatwaves and heavy rains, and the Chuseok holiday, and has requested cooperation from each city and county and related organizations to prepare price stabilization measures.

As a follow-up to the 'Gangwon Province People's Livelihood Stabilization Measures' announced on the 23rd, the province plans to check the progress of price stabilization management promoted by the province and cities/counties so far and share price stabilization measures for each sector in preparation for the Chuseok holiday.

In particular, to stabilize public utility charges, the province maintains a freeze policy on six local public utility charges for which local governments have decision-making authority, minimizes the increase rate, and postpones the timing of fee increases to the second half of the year as much as possible through consultations with the industry.

The province decides taxi, city bus, and city gas fees, while each city and county decides water supply, sewage, and volume-based waste bag fees.

Regarding water supply, sewage, and volume-based waste bags, which are decided by cities and counties, continuous requests for fee reductions have been made to cities and counties, and Wonju, Taebaek, Hongcheon, Hoengseong, and Jeongseon counties have implemented fee reductions to maintain the stabilization of public utility charges.

The province urged seven cities and counties in the province that can implement fee reductions without financial loss by utilizing the raw water usage fee reduction system of the Korea Water Resources Corporation to use the water supply fee reduction system.

In addition, through the Gangwon Price Information Network, price trends for 116 major items in 16 sectors are provided, and to this end, price monitoring personnel (30 in the province, 66 in cities/counties) conduct price surveys at markets and large marts once a week (every Friday).

To revitalize good price stores and spread the good consumption movement, the current 364 designated good price stores will be expanded to 386 this year and 600 by next year.

Meanwhile, related organizations and groups such as the NongHyup and the Korea Foodservice Industry Association were asked to cooperate so that sector-specific price stabilization measures are well applied in the field in line with the government's and Gangwon Province's people's livelihood stabilization policy.

The Gangwon Research Institute's Policy Project Integration Support Group recently analyzed price trends and factors of price increases in Gangwon Province and announced future response strategies, planning to discuss them with cities/counties and related organizations and groups.

The province held a meeting with cities, counties, and related organizations on the 29th at the Gangwon Sports Hall to discuss these price stabilization response measures.

Jung Kwang-yeol, Deputy Governor for Economy of Gangwon Province, urged, "In the situation where the consumer price increase in Gangwon Province continues, local governments should take the lead in discovering policies that can stabilize local public utility charges and alleviate the burden on the low-income economy, and participate in price stabilization and regional economic revitalization."