Gwangmyeong City Activates 'Civil Livelihood Stabilization Response TF' in Response to US-Iran Conflict

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Yu Je-seong] Gwangmyeong City has stepped up efforts to respond at the local government level for civil livelihood stabilization amid international turmoil caused by the US-Iran war and other geopolitical tensions.

Mayor Park Seung-won held an emergency 'Emergency Economic Countermeasures Meeting on US-Iran War' at the City Hall Conference Room on the 11th and reviewed the civil economy response system to minimize damage to citizens' livelihoods and the local economy.

At the meeting, Mayor Park stated, "Since this US-Iran conflict could affect the local economy through international oil prices and supply chains, we must take preemptive measures at the local government level while keeping the possibility of prolonged conflict in mind," and added, "Protecting citizens' lives amid external shocks is the role of local government."

He continued, "We must closely monitor the central government's response policies and quickly prepare countermeasures at the local government level," and urged department heads to "carefully monitor the impact that changes in international circumstances may have on the local economy and make efforts to thoroughly manage the situation."

The city has rapidly organized a Civil Livelihood Stabilization Response TF to review and prepare response measures for the impact on the local economy and citizens' livelihoods amid concerns over surging international oil prices and global supply chain instability caused by recent escalation of armed conflicts in the Middle East.

The Civil Livelihood Stabilization Response TF will be headed by Vice Mayor Choi Hye-min of Gwangmyeong City and will operate across six areas: △civil economy △business support △energy △welfare △public relations △policy planning.

Additionally, the Tax Administration Division and Social Economy Division will participate in the TF to strengthen tax support such as local tax payment deferrals and enhance responses by local economic communities.

Each sub-committee will be responsible for monitoring trends in international oil prices and consumer prices and identifying difficulties faced by small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners.

At the meeting held on the 11th, measures to monitor trends in local gas station prices and essential commodities were discussed to prevent rising international oil prices from leading to local price instability.

Price monitoring for major items including flour, cooking oil, and eggs will be strengthened, and plans to promote consumption such as utilizing Gwangmyeong Love Currency to prevent local consumption contraction were also examined.

At the same time, a complaint reception counter will be operated to quickly identify difficulties faced by local companies affected by rising raw material prices and increased logistics costs, and measures to support business stability such as linking small and medium-sized enterprise development funds and policy funds were also reviewed.

In addition, the city plans to prepare response measures that can be felt by local businesses and citizens in connection with central government and Gyeonggi Province policies, and to implement civil livelihood stabilization measures including vulnerability group living stability policies, monitoring of welfare blind spots, and public guidance on the situation.

Meanwhile, the city plans to maintain the Civil Livelihood Stabilization Response TF through weekly regular briefings and hold ad-hoc meetings as necessary until the situation stabilizes to prepare support measures.

Mayor Park Seung-won emphasized, "Rising oil prices could affect overall consumer prices and lead to citizen burden," and added, "In particular, we must preemptively prepare support measures for vulnerable groups whose livelihoods are directly affected."

He continued, "If there are effective policies among the response measures prepared in the field, there is a need to actively propose them to the central government and Gyeonggi Province," and stated, "Local government must also respond strategically to minimize damage to citizens."