Gyeonggi Province's Budget and Livelihood Cooperation Committee Launches

Following Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae's swift acceptance of Assembly Speaker Nam Jong-seop's proposal to establish a communication and cooperation channel between Gyeonggi Province and the Provincial Assembly, the 'Cooperation Committee of Ruling Party, Opposition Party, and Government' was launched on the 2nd.

Governor Choo Mi-ae, Assembly Speaker Nam Jong-seop, and representatives from ruling and opposition negotiating groups held the inaugural ceremony for the 'Cooperation Committee of Ruling Party, Opposition Party, and Government' at the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly's Yedam Hall on the 2nd, and signed an agreement affirming their commitment to overcoming conflict and pursuing substantive results in provincial administration.

The 'Cooperation Committee of Ruling Party, Opposition Party, and Government' will ensure that the executive branch and assembly communicate on the basis of mutual respect and trust in major provincial policies, budget drafting, and solutions to livelihood issues. The committee will be co-chaired by the Governor of Gyeonggi Province, the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly, and representatives of the Democratic Party and People Power Party.

At the ceremony, Governor Choo emphasized, "The urgent priority is securing budgets for essential livelihood projects. We must pool our efforts from budget allocation to reform of local taxation and securing national treasury funds. If each party, the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly, and Gyeonggi Province make unified recommendations to the government and the National Assembly, we can achieve more substantial and significant changes."

Assembly Speaker Nam Jong-seop responded, "Gyeonggi Province has consistently operated cooperation and communication mechanisms between the province and assembly to jointly take responsibility for provincial administration. I hope the Cooperation Committee of Ruling Party, Opposition Party, and Government that launches today will inherit that experience and demonstrate the power of cooperation in overcoming the difficulties facing Gyeonggi Province."

Democratic Party Representative An Gwang-ryul stated, "The Cooperation Committee of Ruling Party, Opposition Party, and Government is a starting point where all parties overcome past difficulties to join minds focused solely on provincial residents, breathing new vitality into provincial administration. The Democratic Party in the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly will do its best to fulfill its role as a responsible ruling party."

People Power Party Representative Bang Seong-hwan stated, "As the opposition party, the People Power Party will not only identify problems but also present alternatives to cooperate with each other and work toward residents' happiness. I'm glad the Governor visited our People Power Party representatives' office today, and I hope that spirit will help us overcome Gyeonggi Province's fiscal crisis."