Discovery of 'Resident Participation Budget Projects' in Buk-gu, Gwangju

Gwangju Metropolitan City Buk-gu is conducting the ‘Resident Participation Budget System Resident Proposal Project Contest’ until June 21.

The Resident Participation Budget System is a system that allows residents to directly participate in the entire budget process of local governments, including budget formulation and settlement, to enhance transparency in financial management and support the realization of fiscal democracy. Buk-gu was the first in the nation to introduce this system by establishing a foundational ordinance in 2004.

This year’s resident proposal project contest aims to address the issue of previous projects being concentrated in the facility and environment sectors and to discover various projects reflecting local characteristics. It will be conducted in two categories: ▲Policy Projects (600 million KRW) and ▲Local Issue Projects (1.4 billion KRW), totaling 2 billion KRW.

First, in the policy project category, proposals can be submitted for projects that enhance resident benefits such as those for youth, young adults, and socially vulnerable groups, or for projects related to the activation of culture, arts, and safety policies, with a budget limit of up to 100 million KRW per project. In the local issue project category, proposals should aim to resolve residents’ daily inconveniences or connect with village agendas to highlight local characteristics, with a budget limit of up to 50 million KRW per project.

Residents wishing to participate in the contest can submit their proposal application forms through the Buk-gu Office website or deliver them by mail or visit to the Buk-gu Office Planning and Coordination Office or the nearest Dong Administrative Welfare Center.

Buk-gu will award 2,000 resident participation points (a system that grants points to residents participating in district administration, and upon accumulating more than 10,000 points, corresponding gift certificates are provided) to residents who participate in the contest. By October, after eligibility review by each department and deliberation at the general discussion meeting, the resident participation budget projects will be finalized from the submitted proposals and reflected in the next year’s main budget.