Among 32 Projects Last Year, 21 Rated 'Excellent'... Local Election System Improvement 'Insufficient'

by Lim Chulyoung

Published 05 Apr.2022 10:06(KST)

The Committee on Local Autonomy and Decentralization Reports the Implementation Status of the 'Local Autonomy and Decentralization Implementation Plan' by Agency at the Cabinet Meeting

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Among the 32 tasks in the local autonomy implementation plan carried out by the government last year, 21 were rated as 'excellent.'

On the 5th, the Presidential Commission on Local Autonomy reported the implementation status by agency of the '2021 Local Autonomy Implementation Plan' to the Cabinet meeting presided over by the President, after deliberation and resolution by the Local Autonomy Commission on February 25.

The evaluation of the local autonomy implementation status assessed the implementation status by agency of the 32 promotion tasks in the '2021 Local Autonomy Implementation Plan' established last year to concretely realize the 'Comprehensive Plan for Local Autonomy.'

The main contents of the evaluation results are that among the 32 promotion tasks, 21 tasks, including the 'introduction of a deliberation-based resident participation method,' were rated excellent for adhering to the promotion schedule and achievement of goals. Ten tasks, such as the 'rational relaxation of requirements for resident recall and resident audit requests,' were rated average due to incomplete revision of related laws and regulations and delays in consultations with related agencies. One task, 'seeking improvement measures for the local election system,' was rated insufficient.

Looking at the major achievements of last year's local autonomy implementation plan, the enactment of the Resident Ordinance Proposal Act, which allows residents to directly request the enactment or repeal of ordinances to local councils to realize resident sovereignty; the enactment of the Central-Local Cooperation Council Act, which enables the state and local governments to deliberate on major policies concerning regions on an equal footing; the launch of city and provincial autonomous police committees to provide resident-customized security services tailored to regional characteristics and circumstances, completing the legalization of related regulations. Additionally, the operation of the 'Local Autonomy Prior Consultation System' ensured substantial and comprehensive autonomy rights through prior examination of the appropriateness of task allocation in the revision of laws and regulations by central ministries.

Kim Soon-eun, Chairperson of the Local Autonomy Commission, said, “Despite the difficult conditions caused by COVID-19, the Local Autonomy Commission achieved the completion of six local autonomy laws set as goals and the promotion of the second phase of fiscal decentralization for the improvement of the national and local tax structure,” and added, “We will strive to create outcomes that residents can feel in the field of policy beyond legislative achievements.”