Gwangju Nam-gu Selected as the Nation's Best Local Government for Managing Regional Prices

Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, was selected as the best institution nationwide in the local autonomous district category in the '2023 First Half Local Price Stability Management Evaluation' hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety by efficiently managing local public utility fees amid inflationary pressures.

On the 14th, Nam-gu announced that it secured a special grant of 50 million won after being selected as the best institution in the first half evaluation conducted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety disclosed the results of the '2023 Local Price Stability Management Evaluation' targeting metropolitan and basic local governments nationwide on the 12th and held an awards ceremony.

In this evaluation, the Ministry reviewed the performance of local governments in managing local public utility fees from November last year to May this year, as well as their support for Good Price Stores and efforts to manage personal service fees.

Nam-gu earned the honor of best institution by systematically managing Good Price Stores in the local public utility fee sector, providing various incentives to each store, and freezing the price of volume-based waste disposal bags to stabilize local prices.

In particular, to stabilize local prices and support the livelihood of ordinary citizens, Nam-gu reselected 41 Good Price Stores in the first half of this year and provided unprecedented incentives such as one-year water and sewage fee support and air conditioner cleaning services to designated stores for business stabilization, attracting significant attention from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

In the personal service fee management sector, Nam-gu held a meeting earlier this year at Bongseon Market and Mudeung Market with market merchants and local bank presidents to request price stabilization. They also operated a price monitoring team and a joint inspection team, posting weekly price survey results and frequently cracking down on unfair practices, which led to favorable evaluations.

Additionally, as a special policy for price stabilization, Nam-gu provided special heating cost support to small-scale tenant merchants facing crises due to winter cold waves and public utility fee increases. Collaborating with Gwangju Credit Guarantee Foundation and Gwangju Bank, they also eased management burdens by supporting special guarantees for local low-income residents and maintaining an interest rate differential support rate of up to 4%.

A Nam-gu official stated, "We will do our best to manage local prices to promote the stability of low-income households and ensure that all residents, including small business owners, can maintain a stable life."