Gyeonggi Province Residents Prioritize Welfare, Economic Investment, and Women/Family Affairs for Next Year's Budget

A survey has revealed that Gyeonggi Province residents believe the provincial budget for next year should prioritize investment in public welfare, economic investment, and women and family affairs, in that order.

According to Gyeonggi Province on the 26th, the province conducted a survey through its website from the 4th to the 29th of last month regarding "preferences for priority investment areas in the 2017 budget." The results showed that 31.3% of respondents expressed the view that the public welfare sector should receive "priority investment."

Following this were economic investment at 20.5%, women and family affairs at 10.8%, environment at 8.9%, transportation and construction at 8.1%, and urban housing at 7.8%, showing the same preference order as last year.

Compared to the same survey last year, the rate of respondents selecting the public welfare sector decreased by 3.7 percentage points, while economic investment increased by 0.8 percentage points, women and family affairs by 2.6 percentage points, and environment by 1.8 percentage points.

Respondents identified the following as top priorities by sector: in welfare policy, support for living stability of low-income vulnerable groups; in addressing low birth rates, creating a birth-friendly social environment and strengthening educational welfare; and in educational welfare, expanding the foundation of lifelong education.

In the job creation sector, respondents cited customized job support by demographic group, and for balanced regional development in northern Gyeonggi Province, they mentioned creating a favorable business environment and job creation.

The survey was conducted among the province's online panel members, with 1,148 of 4,064 panel participants taking part.

A provincial official stated, "The results of this survey, conducted as part of the residents' participatory budgeting system, will be used as foundational data for the province's budget compilation for next year."