(Gimhae = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Jun-young = It was pointed out that the average waiting period for child care services in Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do is over 5 months, so countermeasures are needed.
According to administrative audit data related to the status of child care service operation status received from the city by Kim Young-seo, a People Power Party member of the Gimhae City Council, on the 28th, there were 247 child care workers in the region as of last July, while the number of families waiting for the service was 399.
The average number of days waiting for service was 167 days, which was about 5 months or more.
Currently, one company in the Gimhae region is in charge of providing child care services.
In its past performance analysis, the city suggested 'elimination of the waiting list' for child care services as an area for future improvement, but it was found that the waiting period was still long.
Accordingly, Rep. Kim also emphasized the need to closely connect the demand for care by region with the activity areas of child care workers.
He said, โIf child care workers can work close to the families using the service, it can help increase the possibility of service connection,โ and โMaintaining service quality is important, but with 399 families waiting and the average waiting period reaching 167 days, resolving the waiting problem is a priority now.โ
The city is considering adding one service provider to provide services divided into the eastern and western regions.
In addition, in this administrative audit, the Gimhae Talent Development Foundation, which plays a key control role in Inje University's glocal university project, was also criticized for passing a project cost with an incorrectly recorded amount of more than 10 times its board of directors.
An official from the Gimhae Talent Training Foundation said in an administrative audit that the actual budget for the smart logistics-related project was 70 million won, but in the 8th foundation board of directors data confirmed by Rep. Kim Young-seo, the project cost was listed as 700 million won, and it was even approved by the board of directors.
The foundation explained the correction to the directors who participated in the decision and explained that it would collect signatures again.
Representative Kim pointed out, โ70 million won and 700 million won are 10 times the difference,โ and added, โIt is not a matter of a simple typo, but the foundationโs data verification and internal control system must be inspected given that this data was passed as is at the board of directors, which makes the final decision on the business plan and budget.โ
It was also pointed out that in the subcontracting process for government-funded construction, the recommendation of local companies and the actual contract process should be fair and transparent.
Currently, the city produces promotional brochures for excellent professional construction companies and provides them to construction companies in order to expand participation in subcontracting with local companies.
According to subcontract management data for the past three years submitted by the city to Rep. Joo Jeong-young of the Democratic Party of Korea, among the top 10 companies in terms of subcontract contract amount, there were three companies that were not confirmed in the recommended list of excellent professional construction companies provided by the city to construction companies.
These companies showed subcontract performance worth approximately KRW 28.2 billion, KRW 16.2 billion, and KRW 11.1 billion, respectively.
Rep. Joo criticized, "If companies that are not on the list of excellent companies created by the city based on construction capabilities and provided to construction companies are receiving contracts worth billions or tens of billions of won, the administration should be able to explain the process and reasons. If it is seen that work is being concentrated on specific companies without principles and standards, how can local companies that have competed faithfully trust the administration?"
