Geochang-gun Selected as the Nation's Best Institution for Resident Participation Budget for Two Consecutive Years

Received 100 Million Won Financial Incentive

Geochang-gun, Gyeongnam Province, announced on the 20th that it has been selected as the best institution nationwide in the operation of the 2023 Resident Participatory Budget System evaluated by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, receiving a ministerial commendation and a special financial incentive grant of 100 million won.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety selects outstanding local governments in the operation of the Resident Participatory Budget System every year through evaluations of local governments nationwide to promote sound financial management and enhance the democracy, accountability, and transparency of local finances.

Award Ceremony for Geochang-gun Selected as the Best National Institution for Resident Participatory Budgeting.

In this evaluation, Geochang-gun was the only awardee in Gyeongsangnam-do, and the county has been recognized as one of the top nationwide in the field of resident participatory budgeting, having been selected as an excellent institution four times cumulatively: in 2018 and 2021 as an excellent institution, and in 2022 and 2023 as the best institution, achieving three consecutive years as an excellent institution and two consecutive years as the best institution.

In particular, Geochang-gun received higher evaluations than other local governments in areas such as ▲strengthening the functions of the resident participatory budget deliberation body ▲ensuring hierarchical participation in the Resident Participatory Budget Committee ▲expanding communication channels for residents' opinions through the expanded operation of budget schools ▲and improving the professionalism of system operation.

Gu In-mo, the county governor, said, “Thanks to the high interest and participation of the residents, we have achieved the top national performance in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety evaluation,” adding, “To meet the expectations of the residents, we will foster a leading model of resident participatory budgeting that is more advanced and develop it into a specialized Geochang-type resident participatory budget.”

Meanwhile, Geochang-gun plans to operate a differentiated resident participatory budget system unique to Geochang by improving and supplementing deficiencies in 2024 for a more stable and complete operation of the resident participatory budget system with a ‘system’ and ‘framework,’ and by advancing the timing of tasks such as collecting residents' opinions, public contests, and budget schools to promote them more substantively.