Strict Measures and Recurrence Prevention Plans for 243 Local Councils Targeted by September
The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) will inspect the overseas business trip practices of local council members across all local councils by September.
The ACRC announced on the 10th that it will begin a four-month inspection of the overseas business trip practices of local council members in all 243 local councils starting this month.
Last September, the ACRC received a corruption report stating that "a local council canceled an overseas business trip and paid a cancellation fee equivalent to 47% of the trip expenses to the travel agency, wasting the budget." Believing that similar cases might be widespread in other local councils, the ACRC selected seven local councils for on-site inspections of overseas business trip operations during March and April this year.
As a result, it was revealed that there were problems not only with excessive payment of cancellation fees but also with the overall management of overseas business trips by local councils.
Accordingly, the ACRC decided to conduct a full survey of the overseas business trip operations of all 243 local councils to eradicate the practice of frivolous overseas trips and improper budget execution related to local councils' overseas business trips.
Until September, the ACRC plans to conduct both written surveys and on-site inspections related to local council members' overseas business trips, focusing on ▲frivolous overseas trips ▲false preparation of overseas trip plans and result reports ▲violations of accounting and contract laws ▲excessive payment of cancellation fees. Strict measures will be taken against illegal activities, and institutional improvements and recurrence prevention measures will be established to prevent repeated waste of public funds due to overseas business trips.
Yoo Cheol-hwan, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, stated, "The comprehensive inspection of local council members' overseas business trips is being conducted in response to the social demand for urgent measures against frivolous and inappropriate overseas trips." He added, "Through this inspection, we will fundamentally resolve the recurring improper budget execution practices such as frivolous overseas trips that happen every year."
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