Gyeonggi Province to Launch Comprehensive Audit of Suwon City from the 1st, Targeting Illegal Favoritism and Passive Administration

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Gyeonggi Province will conduct comprehensive audits of Suwon City from the 1st to the 16th, and Icheon City from the 1st to the 11th.

This audit, in accordance with the '2021 Audit Plan', is an institutional comprehensive audit on city administrative affairs that will focus on ▲improper claims for public finance and cases of use for unintended purposes ▲budget waste and tax base omission cases ▲repetitive, habitual illegal practices, favoritism controversies, and licensing violation matters ▲unlawful and improper administrative acts ▲passive administration, and others.

In particular, the province will conduct intensive inspections on citizen grievance areas directly related to residents' lives such as social welfare, transportation, urban development and architecture, and the environment, as well as various civil complaint and licensing processing procedures. If unreasonable regulations are found, the province plans to recommend institutional improvements to the government.

However, for health centers and dedicated departments for disaster basic income distribution, audits will be conducted to ensure no disruption in the COVID-19 response, and the policy is to strictly comply with disease prevention measures such as fever checks, mask wearing, and hand sanitizer use when auditors enter the audit venue.

At the same time, the province will operate a 'public audit system' during the audit period and receive reports regarding inconveniences or burdens imposed on residents, civil servant misconduct, unlawful and improper acts, and others.

Reports can be made by visiting the audit office directly at City Hall or through telephone, fax, email, and other means.

Matters involving criminal investigation or litigation, matters that may infringe on private rights or privacy, and matters that have been audited or are being audited by other organizations are excluded (Suwon City: Tel.(031-228-3760), FAX(031-369-2080), Email(juyelee@gg.go.kr)/Icheon City: Tel.(031-645-3708), FAX(031-637-8545), Email(khj32049@gg.go.kr))

Meanwhile, the province operates a 'pre-consultation audit system' to prevent situations where civil servants fail to proactively address residents' difficulties due to audit consciousness, and resolves inquiries from civil servants and residents through prior consultations.

In addition, the province operates an 'active administration liability exemption system' that reduces the level of censure for civil servants who make mistakes while actively handling their duties, and a 'special audit system' for civil servants engaging in passive administration such as inaction, lack of initiative, and dereliction of duty.

Kim Jin-hyo, head of the Gyeonggi Provincial Audit and Inspection Division, stated, "We will operate a broad active administration liability exemption system so as not to inhibit the creativity or enthusiasm of public officials in pursuing their duties actively. However, we will hold strict responsibility for unlawful and improper work processing, passive administration, and budget waste caused by reckless project promotion."