'5.2 Billion KRW → 15 Billion KRW' Expansion of Chungnam Resident Participatory Budget System Scope

[Asia Economy (Hongseong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Chungnam Province is expanding the scope and strengthening the substance of the Resident Participatory Budget System.

According to the province on the 1st, the Resident Participatory Budget System was introduced and implemented in Chungnam in 2017 as the first in the nation to guarantee residents' practical participation in the budget formulation process.

At the time of introduction, the related budget was 5.2 billion KRW, but the scale has increased every year, reaching 15 billion KRW this year.

This year, the province received 414 proposals for the Resident Participatory Budget System projects through a public contest, and after voting, selected 110 projects worth 13.623 billion KRW in August. These projects will be reflected in next year’s budget and implemented accordingly.

In June last year, the province revised the ordinance to expand the number of members of the Resident Participatory Budget Committee from 40 to 100, establishing institutional measures to enhance resident participation and opinion gathering.

As the system enters its fifth year, the province has laid the institutional foundation to broaden the guarantee of resident participation in the budget formulation and operation process to ensure the system’s substance.

Additionally, a new ‘Eup, Myeon, Dong grassroots small-scale project (worth 3 billion KRW)’ was established to strengthen connections with local communities in Eup, Myeon, and Dong.

A provincial official stated, “We will continue research to analyze the outcomes of the Resident Participatory Budget and establish future models. Based on the research results, the province will enhance the substance of the Resident Participatory Budget and prepare improvement plans to expand resident participation and discover excellent projects.”

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