Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly Speaker Nam Jong-seop Requests National Funding and Local Assembly Act Enactment from Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok

Nam Jong-seop, Speaker of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly (Democratic Party, Yongin District 3), requested full-scale national funding support and strengthened fiscal decentralization from the Democratic Party leadership on the 21st to overcome Gyeonggi Province's financial difficulties.

He called on the party and the National Assembly to work together to enact a 'Local Assembly Act' so that local assemblies can fulfill their role as independent deliberative bodies.

Speaker Nam attended the 'Gyeonggi Province-Democratic Party Budget Policy Consultation Meeting' held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Northern Office on that day. The consultation meeting was attended by Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok, Floor Leader Han Byung-do, Policy Committee Chair Kwon Chil-seung, National Assembly Budget and Accounts Special Committee Chair Lee Gwang-jae, Gyeonggi Province Party Chair Seo Young-seok, and Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae. From the provincial assembly, Democratic Party Representative Member Ahn Gwang-yul (Siheung District 1) attended the meeting with Speaker Nam.

At the consultation meeting on that day, discussions were held on raising the local consumption tax rate and improving the calculation standards for general grants to improve local financial conditions. Gyeonggi Province's major pending issues such as the development of the US Military Return Areas, expansion of metropolitan-area rail transit, and railroad underground development, as well as tasks for securing national funding, were also addressed.

In his welcoming remarks, Speaker Nam explained that the decline in acquisition tax combined with increased mandatory spending is making it increasingly difficult to protect people's livelihoods and continue future investments. He stressed that central government support is necessary as local governments alone cannot resolve certain issues through their own efforts.

Speaker Nam said, "In addition to full-scale national funding support from the party and the National Assembly, I would like you to also look into issues related to fiscal decentralization, such as raising the local consumption tax rate," requesting active cooperation from the party and the National Assembly.

In particular, along with local financial issues, strengthening the independence and autonomy of local assemblies was presented as a key agenda. Speaker Nam stated, "To create healthy local governments, the roles and authority of local assemblies must also be properly established," and said, "I ask for your efforts in enacting a 'Local Assembly Act' so that local assemblies can function as independent deliberative bodies with autonomy in organizational operation, budgets, and personnel management."

Finally, Speaker Nam said, "I hope the party and the National Assembly will work together so that Gyeonggi Province can overcome current difficulties and grow again," and added, "The Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly will also carefully examine the financial situation and people's pending issues, and will actively contribute to tasks that must be resolved together by Gyeonggi Province and the National Assembly."