Gyeongsangbuk-do Governor Lee Cheol-woo urges support for administrative integration, new airport construction and fiscal autonomy

【Financial News, Andong = Reporter Kim Jang-wook】“I ask for full support for Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration, construction of a new airport, and fiscal autonomy, among other things.”
At the audit by the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee held at the provincial government on the 20th, Gyeongsangbuk-do Governor Lee Cheol-woo said, “If part of the local allocation tax is diverted to establish a Future Response Fund, local governments’ fiscal autonomy will be further constrained (KRW 800 billion for the province and KRW 3.7 trillion for cities and counties).” He strongly urged officials to “take a close look at the difficult realities facing local communities and help them.”
Lee said, “The average fiscal self-reliance rate of local governments, excluding special and metropolitan cities, is around 35%, while Gyeongsangbuk-do’s is around 25%.” He explained, “Although the central government makes up for funding shortfalls, most of the money is earmarked. The central government decides how it will be used, while local governments are responsible only for carrying out the spending.”
He also said, “After industrialization and democratization comes decentralization,” adding, “For decentralization to succeed, metropolitan integration must take place and megacities with economies of scale must be created so they can compete on an equal footing with cities around the world.”
Lee said the “special bill on Daegu-Gyeongbuk administrative integration” had passed the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee but had yet to clear the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, and asked for attention and support.
He also said, “The Daegu-Gyeongbuk New Airport needs to be built swiftly and established successfully,” adding, “I call for full support for the new airport construction project, which has made no progress.”
He also requested support, saying, “Establishing a medical school at Gyeongkuk National University is essential to reform the local public healthcare system, including by addressing healthcare disparities and training personnel.”
Meanwhile, Lee also requested cooperation on post-APEC projects that build on the achievements of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held successfully in Gyeongju last year.
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