Naju-si, 2023 2nd Supplementary Budget of 1.1929 Trillion Won Formulated

Focus on Citizens' Daily Issues Including Livelihood Stability, Social Safety Net, and Disaster Safety

Naju City in Jeollanam-do has prepared a supplementary budget of 1.1929 trillion KRW for the second supplementary budget of 2023 and submitted it to the city council.

According to Naju City on the 31st, the size of this supplementary budget increased by 73.7 billion KRW (6.6%) compared to the first supplementary budget. The general account increased by 58.1 billion KRW to 1.1046 trillion KRW, and the special account increased by 15.6 billion KRW to 88.3 billion KRW.

The main budget allocation areas include 27.5 billion KRW for transportation and regional development, 7.1 billion KRW for agriculture and forestry, 5.9 billion KRW for safety and general administration, 5 billion KRW for social welfare and health, 5 billion KRW for environment, 2.8 billion KRW for industry, small and medium enterprises, and energy, and 2.2 billion KRW for culture, tourism, and education.

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae reflected essential budgets that are directly connected to citizens’ lives and practically help regional development while preparing for the harsh financial conditions expected due to the government’s strong sound fiscal policy and decreased tax revenue.

He carefully managed new policy projects of the 8th elected administration, focusing administrative power on future growth engines such as stabilizing the livelihood economy amid high inflation, high interest rates, and high oil prices, customized welfare, social safety nets, disaster safety, tourism, corporate attraction, food tech, and rural return migration.

Mayor Yoon especially undertook intensive expenditure restructuring, including the execution balance from the completion of current year projects, large-scale investment projects with poor execution performance, and cuts in department office management expenses and travel expenses, striving to secure fiscal efficiency and soundness.

In this supplementary budget, the city allocated 40 million KRW for operating the ‘365-day hourly childcare room,’ a 24-hour childcare system on weekdays, weekends, and holidays to prepare for parents’ emergencies; 1 billion KRW for establishing and supporting the ‘Multicultural Medical Center’ (former Yeongsanpo Jeil Hospital) to improve medical conditions for the southern region and multicultural families; 200 million KRW for installing a rest area for mobile workers (delivery drivers) in the Innovation City; and 210 million KRW for operating the ‘Demand-Responsive Bitgaram-dong Naju Call Bus.’

It also allocated 290 million KRW for ‘Strengthening Senior Citizens’ Centers’ functions, 450 million KRW for ‘Improving Living Conditions in Vulnerable Areas of Ichang-dong and Donggang-myeon,’ 70 million KRW for increasing the ‘Veterans’ Honor Allowance’ (from 50,000 KRW to 70,000 KRW) and expanding support scope (including war casualties, deceased, injured, and disabled veterans, merit awardees for national defense and public service, and May 18 Democratic Movement merit awardees and their families), and 100 million KRW for additional support of ‘Infertile Couples’ Treatment Costs’ without income criteria.

The city is also focusing its capabilities on disaster and emergency projects to prepare for rapidly changing climate conditions such as typhoons, heavy rain, heatwaves, and heavy snow.

The city allocated 610 million KRW for ‘Emergency Restoration Costs for Heavy Rain Damage.’ Included in this supplementary budget are 130 million KRW for ‘Restoration of Hwado and Jangsan Small Streams,’ 180 million KRW for ‘Development of Medium-sized Wells for Heatwave Preparedness,’ 3.4 billion KRW for ‘Maintenance of Anseong and Wolsan Small Streams,’ 150 million KRW for ‘Operation of Drainage Pump Stations,’ 30 million KRW for ‘Support Funds for Fire Victims,’ and 200 million KRW for ‘Purchase of Snow Removal Materials for Snow Countermeasures.’

The budget for the ‘tourism’ sector, which Mayor Yoon Byung-tae has identified as a future growth engine for Naju, also draws attention.

Naju City plans to invest 840 million KRW in the integrated festival ‘2023 Naju Festival, Yeongsangang River is Alive,’ which will be held for 10 days from October 20 to 29.

Additionally, 100 million KRW each were allocated for establishing basic plans for the ‘Yeongsangang Green View Design Observatory’ and the ‘Bitgaram Complex Floating Performance Hall,’ 20 million KRW for the detailed design of the ‘Ddeuldeulgang Area Camping Site,’ 50 million KRW for the basic plan of the ‘Yeongsangang Lighthouse Tourism Resource Project,’ the only inland lighthouse in Korea, 130 million KRW for improving the viewing environment of Geumseonggwan, and 50 million KRW for the ‘Support Project for Clean Bedding in Lodging Facilities.’

In other growth engines such as corporate attraction, sustainable agriculture, and rural return migration, the budget includes 1.16 billion KRW for knowledge information culture corporate attraction subsidies, 720 million KRW for supporting corporate attraction related to public institutions, 20 million KRW for the superjunction power semiconductor research center establishment service, 70 million KRW for food tech industry policy establishment service, 100 million KRW for creating rural return migration pilot villages, and 250 million KRW for the Naju Pear Quality Assurance System support project.

Finally, to secure fiscal soundness by resolving guarantee liabilities of the Innovation Industrial Complex, 18.4 billion KRW was allocated to repay corporate loan balances and initiate corporate liquidation procedures.

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae of Naju said, “We prepared the second supplementary budget focusing on essential budgets that can guarantee citizens’ happiness and safety while maintaining sound and efficient city finances. We will do our best to promptly execute the budget as soon as it is approved by the city council so that citizens can feel the results.”

Meanwhile, the second supplementary budget for 2023 is scheduled to be reviewed by each standing committee and the Budget and Accounts Special Committee from the 6th of next month and finalized through a plenary session on the 12th.

Naju = Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Yuk-bong yjm3070@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.