Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy: "Public Institutions Slow in Asset Efficiency and Welfare Improvements"

Mid-Year Review of Public Institution Innovation Plan Implementation
Inspection of Public Institution Responses to Heavy Rainfall and Orders to Strengthen Safety Management

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has urged its affiliated public institutions to actively engage in asset efficiency improvements and welfare enhancements.

On the 19th, the Ministry held a meeting of deputy heads of major public institutions under its jurisdiction at the Trade Insurance Corporation's main conference room to review the "2023 First Half Implementation Status and Future Action Plans."

According to the Ministry, the affiliated public institutions adjusted 2,324 personnel positions by the second quarter of this year, approaching the 2022-2023 target of 2,383. However, regarding asset efficiency, the plan was valued at 1.88 trillion KRW, but the actual amount was only 670 billion KRW. Of the 110 welfare improvements to be made, only 73 have been completed so far.

Choi Nam-ho, Director of Planning and Coordination at the Ministry, stated, "Implementation has generally proceeded smoothly through the first half of this year, but some institutions are lagging behind in asset efficiency and welfare improvements. We urge those institutions with shortcomings to devise various measures for proper implementation and to actively pursue labor-management agreements where necessary."

On the same day, the Ministry also requested the strengthening of safety management for major energy and industrial facilities. The Ministry maintains a real-time emergency response system with 21 disaster management public institutions that possess facilities and functions directly related to public safety in preparation for heavy rainfall. Through this meeting, the Ministry ordered all affiliated public institutions to further strengthen safety inspection and response readiness for vulnerable facilities against heavy rain and to make every effort to promptly restore affected facilities and support the recovery of public facilities damaged in disasters.

Director Choi emphasized, "Facilities managed by public institutions under the Ministry’s jurisdiction can directly cause harm to the public if problems occur, so they must do their utmost in safety management, even to an extent that may seem excessive."