12 Cities Including Suwon Establish 'Congestion Control Zone Municipalities Joint Response Council'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-seong] Twelve cities designated as congestion control zones, including Suwon Special City, have established the 'Congestion Control Zone Municipalities Joint Response Council.'

Mayors (vice mayors and bureau chiefs) of the 12 local governments in congestion control zones held the inaugural general meeting of the joint response council on the 30th at the Suwon Convention Center Dining Room, and elected Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun as representative chair. The council also deliberated on agendas including operational bylaws.

Twelve local governments—Suwon, Goyang, Seongnam, Anyang, Bucheon, Uijeongbu, Hanam, Gwangmyeong, Gunpo, Guri, Uiwang, and Gwacheon cities—designated as congestion control zones under the Metropolitan Regulation Planning Act, have formed the joint response council.

The council plans to conduct activities including △policy recommendations regarding legal and institutional improvements △sharing major initiatives and developing policies △strengthening capacity through research, education, training, and seminars related to metropolitan policies △promoting cooperative projects with the central government, local governments, agencies, and organizations related to metropolitan policies.

Mayor Lee Jae-jun stated, "The designation of congestion control zones under the Metropolitan Regulation Planning Act is not suppressing 'congestion' in the metropolitan area but rather suppressing 'growth,'" and pointed out that "national competitiveness is declining due to regulations in congestion control zones."

He continued, "Our country enacted the Metropolitan Regulation Planning Act by benchmarking advanced countries such as Britain, France, and Japan over 40 years ago, but these three countries abolished or eased regulations as national competitiveness declined. However, our country is still wearing clothes made 40 years ago," he said.

Mayor Lee stated, "I hope that the joint response council launched today will become the first stream of water to amend the 40-year-old Metropolitan Regulation Planning Act to fit the times and enhance national competitiveness."

Meanwhile, under the Metropolitan Regulation Planning Act, 14 cities in Gyeonggi Province, including Suwon, have been designated as 'congestion control zones.' When establishing corporations in congestion control zones, costs are several times higher than in other zones due to heavy taxation on real estate acquisition. Companies that relocate to areas outside congestion control zones receive corporate tax benefits, causing businesses to move to local governments with fewer regulations.