Environmental Facilities Corporation Establishment 'Temporarily Halted'

Suwon City, which was the first among basic local governments nationwide to pursue the establishment of an Environmental Facilities Corporation <<Suwon Ilbo, March 13>, has decided to indefinitely postpone the corporation's establishment as various reviews are needed. Meanwhile, the Youth Development Foundation establishment is moving forward as scheduled, with the city accelerating the enactment of related ordinances and showing vigor in the foundation's establishment.

According to the city on the 6th, the results of a service commissioned from the Korea Self-governing Institution Management Evaluation Institute last November showed that the establishment of the Environmental Facilities Corporation has merit, but the city decided to pursue it again after conducting more detailed and meticulous reviews. However, the timing has not been clearly specified.

This result is interpreted as reflecting the criticism against the Suwon City Mayor for "creating positions" and the Suwon City Council's opinion that establishing an environmental corporation is premature.

Previously, the city promoted the corporation's establishment by emphasizing the necessity of establishing a local public enterprise that would integrate and operate environmental facilities management tasks scattered across various institutions and departments, but faced opposition from the Suwon City Council.

Council members belonging to the Economic and Environmental Committee at the time also pointed out that proper reviews of existing facilities management corporation tasks had not been conducted, and criticized that the establishment of an environmental corporation, excluding environmental facilities such as the Environmental Business Division and crematorium, would be meaningless.

On the other hand, the "Youth Development Foundation" establishment, pursued alongside the environmental corporation establishment, will proceed as originally planned. The results of a service commissioned to the Korea Institute for Social and Economic Studies in September last year showed merit in the Youth Development Foundation establishment, and the city is proceeding with the legal entity establishment procedures.

The city plans to conduct legislative notice on the "Suwon City Youth Development Foundation Establishment and Operation Ordinance" through the 21st and present the ordinance at a regular session of the Suwon City Council.

The city plans to contribute approximately 300 million won (estimated) to establish the foundation and have it take charge of various youth-related projects and facility operations.

An official from the city's Education, Youth and Culture Division said, "Specific plans have not yet been announced, but once the ordinance is promulgated, we will establish an incorporators' meeting to begin full-scale work."