In case of integration, 'it is difficult to transfer the entire amount within the year...' Some will be included in next year's main budget.

In case of integration, “it is difficult to transfer the entire amount within the year… some of it will be allocated to next year’s main budget”

(Jeonnam Gwangju = Yonhap News) Reporter Park Cheol-hong = Jeonnam Gwangju Unified Special City continued to criticize the city council for not reflecting in its budget the 135 billion won in statutory transfer funds that should be paid to the Office of Education.

Kim Geon-an (Buk-gu 1), a member of the Unified Special City Council, pointed out in the review of the first supplementary budget plan by the City Council's Budget and Settlement Special Committee on the 17th, "The statutory transfer is not a support fund paid according to financial conditions, but a mandatory expense that must be paid according to the law," and "Aren't you shifting the city's financial problems to education finances?"

Rep. Kim said, “If it is postponed in the main budget and continues to be postponed in the supplementary budget, what numbers should the Office of Education believe in when preparing the budget?” He also took issue with the fact that the agreement between the city and the Office of Education on transfers was only conducted verbally without an official document.

Rep. Kim requested a plan to transfer budgets not included in the supplementary budget within the year, priority allocation to the main budget, and a prior consultation and inspection system between the city and the Office of Education.

Han Chun-ok, chairman of the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts, also criticized, saying, “This is the first supplementary budget after integration, but due to a poor plan to raise funds, legal obligations are also being disrupted.”

Chief expert Oh Kyung-hoon criticized in the review report, "86 new projects (KRW 36.8 billion) worth more than 30 million won were included in the supplementary budget while not reflecting the statutory transfer funds," adding, "The legally required expenses were left aside and new projects were filled."

Regarding this, Executive Mayor Hwang Ki-yeon said, "It is most desirable to transfer all the statutory funds within this fiscal year, but considering the current fiscal capacity, it is unlikely to be easy to raise the full amount." He added, "We will secure additional revenues and reduce expenditures to reflect as much as possible in the supplementary budget, and allocate the remainder to next year's main budget."

The integrated city initially reflected 40 billion won, which was a portion of the unappropriated withdrawals from the old Gwangju area (100 billion won), out of the 135 billion won, in the supplementary budget, but cut the entire amount in the revised plan as the plan to overissue local bonds was put on hold.