Plans by the Incheon City Council to pursue about 200 million won ($140,000) in overseas trips in the second half of this year are stirring controversy, as the city has been suspending cashback payments and scaling back public welfare projects citing fiscal difficulties.
The Incheon Peace and Welfare Solidarity issued a statement Tuesday condemning the plans. "Citizens are enduring hardship from the suspension of cashback payments and other cuts, yet the council is planning overseas trips," the group said, urging the council to "show a sense of responsibility befitting a fiscal crisis."
According to the group, six standing committees of the Incheon City Council are preparing overseas trips for the second half of the year.
The Education Committee, the Public Administration and Safety Committee, and the Culture and Welfare Committee are considering trips to Japan; the Urban Construction Committee is looking at Morocco; the Industry and Economy Committee is eyeing Australia; and the Environment and Education Committee is planning to visit France.
The council's budget for this year is reported to include about 200 million won earmarked for overseas travel by council members.
Since the launch of the ninth elected administration, Incheon city has suspended its Incheon e-eum cashback program and established a public-private fiscal TF to overhaul its fiscal structure, citing financial strain.
The city has also put some projects under its "100-Day Livelihood Project" on hold, maintaining an austerity stance.
The Incheon Peace and Welfare Solidarity said pursuing overseas trips under these circumstances falls short of what citizens expect.
The group particularly noted that other local councils have been canceling overseas trips or returning related budgets in light of their own fiscal situations.
The Busan City Council, for its part, decided not to pursue any overseas trips this year and to return 150 million won in related funds.
The Gyeonggi Province Council is also moving to return about 647 million won in related budget, taking into account fiscal conditions and controversy over overseas travel.
The North Chungcheong Province Council has also decided to forgo overseas trips this year to head off criticism that such travel amounts to junkets.
"The council's most important role is to ensure that taxpayer money is spent where it is needed most, especially under difficult fiscal conditions," the group said, urging the council to return the overseas travel budget first if it is serious about prioritizing livelihoods and overcoming the fiscal crisis.
The group also said the newly launched 10th Incheon City Council "must not lose the trust of citizens from the very start over overseas travel controversy," adding that "a decisive commitment to helping overcome the fiscal crisis is needed."
gilbert@heraldcorp.com
