150,000 Won per Person in Local Gift Certificates Every Month for Two Years
Gyeongsangnam-do Province announced on the 26th that it will begin providing the Rural Basic Income to residents of Namhae-gun on the 27th.
The Rural Basic Income is a national pilot project designed to support a minimum level of livelihood stability for rural residents and to stimulate local consumption, thereby boosting economic vitality in areas experiencing population decline.
The pilot will run for two years from 2026 to 2027, with funding composed of 40% from the national government, 30% from the provincial government, and 30% from the county government. The total provincial contribution from Gyeongsangnam-do Province will amount to 20.7 billion won.
Namhae-gun plans to provide every resident who actually lives in the county with 150,000 won per person each month in the form of a local gift certificate.
Gyeongsangnam-do Province plans to strengthen its management system so that this project does not remain a simple form of cash support.
In particular, the province will closely analyze usage patterns of the local gift certificates and consumption trends by business type, and will work to ensure that a consumption feedback structure, in which spending is channeled into local commercial districts and small business sales, takes root in a stable manner.
At the same time, to prevent the consumption effects of the pilot project from becoming excessively concentrated in a few sectors, a monthly usage limit of 50,000 won will be applied at Nonghyup Hanaro Mart stores, gas stations, and convenience stores.
In sectors closely related to residents' daily lives, such as hospitals, pharmacies, private educational institutes, optical shops, and movie theaters, the certificates can be used without restriction.
The province plans to conduct a comprehensive analysis of local gift certificate usage patterns, residents' perceived benefits, and on-site difficulties, in order to review the efficiency of budget execution and the effectiveness of the policy, and then develop this into a structural fiscal model that enhances rural sustainability.
Jang Younguk, Director General of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, said, "The Rural Basic Income is not a one-off measure to prevent regional extinction, but a minimum structural response to sustain rural communities," adding, "Since there are limits to what can be done under the fiscal burden of local governments alone, we will continue to propose institutional improvements to the central government, including raising the national government's share of funding."
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