Ministry of the Interior and Safety Holds Meeting to Review Stability Management of Local Public Utility Charges

Request for Active Participation in Maintaining Stability of Public Utility Charges

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] On the 7th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety held a "Local Public Utility Price Stability Management Inspection Meeting" chaired by Vice Minister Han Chang-seop, attended by the heads of planning and coordination offices of 17 local governments nationwide.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety ▲shared cases of local governments that froze or reduced local public utility prices, ▲encouraged the implementation of proactive welfare benefits at the whole-government level such as heating cost vouchers, ▲and requested active participation in the local public utility price stability policy, including delaying the timing of price increases to stabilize local prices in the future.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The cases of local governments that froze or reduced local public utility prices introduced at this meeting are as follows. Sejong Special Self-Governing City decided to reduce the water and sewage fees, which had been confirmed for increase in January, through ordinance revision. Gwangju Metropolitan City decided to freeze the city gas fees scheduled for increase in February, and Incheon Metropolitan City decided to freeze the water supply fees scheduled for increase in March this year.

In addition, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam postponed the timing of taxi fare increases to after the second quarter, and 15 local governments in total, including basic local governments, responded to the government policy by postponing the timing of increases in water and sewage fees and garbage bag fees to after the second quarter.

Furthermore, the Ministry urged participation in government support such as heating cost assistance, energy use vouchers, and gas fee discounts provided at the government level for vulnerable groups struggling with the sharply increased heating costs in the middle of winter due to the gas fee increase.

Lastly, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety requested adjustment of the timing of public transportation fare increases and minimization of the increase amount, as concerns grow over the expanded perception of inflation among ordinary citizens due to recent fare hikes in metropolitan area public transportation (buses and subways) and taxi fare increases.

Vice Minister Han Chang-seop of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety emphasized at the meeting, “In the current situation where price stability is of utmost importance, it is time for the central and local governments to cooperate to overcome the economic crisis,” and stated, “We will continue to cooperate with local governments so that local public utility prices do not act as a factor in increasing living costs.”