Gyeonggi Province Intensively Accepts 50 Billion Won Citizen Proposal Projects for 2021

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hoon] Gyeonggi Province is intensively accepting 50 billion won in citizen proposal projects for budget reflection in 2022 as part of its participatory budget system through April 20.

The province categorizes citizen proposal projects into three types: ▲'Provincial governance participation type' with 30 billion won for projects under provincial jurisdiction or projects implemented across two or more municipalities ▲'Regional support type' with 10 billion won for projects requiring provincial support to address regional issues or pilot projects ▲'Public-private cooperation type' with 10 billion won for projects proposed by non-profit private organizations and non-profit corporations located in Gyeonggi Province.

Received citizen proposal projects will be reflected in budget plans through business deliberation, project specification, review by the Participatory Budget Committee, and online citizen voting, followed by legislative examination.

Business deliberation is a procedure implemented to ensure that valuable citizen proposals are not abandoned and are reflected in the budget to the maximum extent possible.

For the provincial governance participation type, citizen proposals are supplemented through expert pre-consultation, public-private budget coordination meetings, and roundtable discussions to increase adoption rates; the regional support type incorporates local opinions through deliberation by municipal project departments and municipal Participatory Budget Committees.

The public-private cooperation type plans to achieve substantial cooperation effects between the public and private sectors by implementing a deliberation process involving proposing organizations, project departments, and the public-private cooperation committee to specify projects.

Any resident of Gyeonggi Province who wishes to make a proposal can participate, and as of this year, the ordinance has been amended to allow students enrolled in schools located in Gyeonggi Province to participate regardless of their residence.

Participation is possible through the Gyeonggi Province Participatory Budget website (https://yesan.gg.go.kr) or by submitting an application form via email, postal mail, or other methods.

Citizen proposal projects can be submitted throughout the year through the Gyeonggi Province Participatory Budget website, but to be reflected in the 2022 main budget, submissions must be made by April 20, the intensive reception period.

More detailed information regarding citizen proposal project submissions can be found through the Gyeonggi Province website (www.gg.go.kr) or the Gyeonggi Province Participatory Budget website (yesan.gg.go.kr).

Meanwhile, in 2020, 500 citizen participatory budget project proposals were received by Gyeonggi Province, with 48 citizen proposal projects totaling 15.4 billion won, including concentrated illumination installation at crosswalks and ice pack circulation projects, being incorporated into the 2021 budget.