The Gyeongbuk Provincial Council's Special Committee on Budget and Accounts (Chairman Hwang Jaecheol) announced that it held meetings over two days from the 19th to the 20th, during which it approved the 2023 fiscal year settlement and reserve fund approval submitted by the Governor of Gyeongbuk and the Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Education as originally proposed.
During this settlement review, members of the committee offered sharp criticisms and engaged in in-depth discussions. In particular, they urged related public officials to make active efforts and show a willingness to improve, emphasizing the need for accurate revenue estimation, minimizing carryovers and unused funds, and increasing execution rates to prevent budgets from being left unused.
Jung Geunsoo (People Power Party, Gumi) pointed out that there are many carryovers of native English assistant teacher personnel expenses, demanding thorough review to prevent such occurrences in the future. He also inquired about the progress of the integrated childcare system and, noting the difficulties faced in the field, requested the Gyeongbuk Office of Education to pay special attention to this matter.
Baek Soonchang (People Power Party, Gumi) criticized the lack of proper management and supervision of the local win-win corporate fund and called for greater attention to revitalize corporate management in Gyeongbuk. He also suggested that branding rice produced in Gyeongbuk and applying it to the popular K-food frozen gimbap could greatly benefit local farmers, urging the development of related measures.
Kim Kyungsook (Democratic Party, Proportional Representation) pointed out the lack of equipment support for civil defense training and criticized the poor management and supervision of supplies, emphasizing that civil defense training is essential for protecting the lives and property of residents. She further noted that 40% of the metropolitan transportation facility charges are allocated to the national treasury, and as the amount is significant, she suggested introducing an additional charge reduction system, as adopted in other regions, to reduce this 40% allocation.
Kwon Gwangtaek (People Power Party, Andong) inquired about incentives for local allocation tax and asked the province to provide guidance and supervision to secure such incentives through efficient budget execution, thereby benefiting Gyeongbuk's budget. He also stressed that, in order to win the battle against low birth rates, policies must reflect the opinions of parents raising children on the ground.
Do Giuk (People Power Party, Yecheon) pointed out the repeated underestimation of revenue budgets each year, which undermines accuracy, and warned that if this continues, it will harm budget efficiency and soundness. He urged greater attention to this issue and thoroughness in future work.
Shin Hyogwang (People Power Party, Cheongsong) remarked that the performance of the musical instrument bank project has been insufficient compared to its good intentions, and requested more active operation in the future. He also criticized that the 2023 net surplus of the Office of Education doubled compared to 2022, and asked for special attention to ensure that unused budgets do not occur through sufficient forecasting and review from the budget planning stage.
Park Chaea (People Power Party, Gyeongsan) noted reports indicating that Gyeongbuk ranks low in the gender equality index and emphasized the need to develop policies for women entering society, rather than continuing awareness improvement education targeting the elderly. She also called for the swift introduction of a grandparent care system for infants and toddlers to accelerate efforts to overcome low birth rates.
Park Soonbeom (People Power Party, Chilgok) pointed out the high amount of subsidy refunds by cities and counties and called for minimizing these costs. He also noted the lack of regulations for settling the reallocated budget of the Autonomous Police Committee and emphasized the need to record and report achievements in the future. Furthermore, he mentioned that the Office of Education's overseas business trip expenses are carried over each year and urged the search for improvement measures with determination regarding the council's criticisms.
Kim Ilsu (People Power Party, Gumi) inquired about projects related to Dokdo, emphasizing that the sovereignty over Dokdo is extremely important. He stated that even if related projects are canceled at the government level, Gyeongbuk Province needs to take an active stance in pursuing them again, and urged more vigilance in future Dokdo-related projects.
Kim Heesu (People Power Party, Pohang) pointed out the delay in supplying high-rise water spray trucks to areas where high-rise apartments are being built, and called for the rapid procurement of necessary firefighting equipment to ensure prompt response in case of fire. He also requested that, given the rapid changes in modern society, the latest electronic devices be supplied for education to ensure the best possible learning environment for students.
Park Seongman (People Power Party, Yeongju) asked whether the Fire Department is preparing for the Daegu-Gyeongbuk integration, and stated that, once integrated, it should be considered autonomous firefighting. He requested that all Fire Department employees work together to further ensure the safety and happiness of residents.
Choi Byungjun (People Power Party, Gyeongju) pointed out delays in disaster recovery from natural disasters such as typhoons, stating that the longer it takes, the greater the suffering for residents. He urged related public officials to make more detailed advance plans so that recovery can be completed as quickly as possible.
Seo Seokyoung, Vice Chairman (People Power Party, Pohang), called for personnel measures to boost the morale of technical public officials and pointed out the shortage of doctors at regional public hospitals. He requested greater attention to the operation of public hospitals to ensure the health of residents and the provision of effective medical services. He also noted the seriousness of student gambling issues and urged the Office of Education to conduct gambling prevention projects to create a safe and healthy educational environment.
Hwang Jaecheol, Chairman (People Power Party, Yeongdeok), inquired about the Daegu-Gyeongbuk integration issue and emphasized that integration should not simply be a physical merger, but rather should provide incentives to cities and counties with similarities. He stressed that the Office of Education should prepare countermeasures to respond swiftly to future developments. He also strongly criticized Gyeongbuk Province for its passive stance on nuclear-related projects and urged the relevant departments to take a leading role in establishing a master plan for energy independence, cooperating with local governments so that Gyeongbuk can take the initiative in the energy sector.
Meanwhile, the 12th Gyeongsangbuk-do Council's 2nd Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, formed on August 29, 2023, has, over the past year, meticulously reviewed additional and revised budgets for the provincial government and the Office of Education, the 2024 initial budget, and the 2023 fiscal year settlement, dedicating all efforts to revitalizing the local economy and improving the quality of life for residents. In addition, in October, the committee visited major sites and public venues in Pohang and Yeongdeok along the East Coast to comfort fishermen suffering from the release of contaminated water from Fukushima and to listen to their difficulties, creating opportunities for communication and carrying out proactive legislative activities to get closer to the residents.
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