As the 9th nationwide local elections (the June 3 local elections) approach and talks on administrative integration among metropolitan governments such as South and Daejeon, South Jeolla and Gwangju, and Daegu and North Gyeongsang are rapidly gaining momentum, criticism has emerged that a significant number of the provisions in the related special acts are geared toward pork-barrel local petitions and preferential treatment.
The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) said on the 10th that its analysis of a total of 1,035 provisions in three special bills on administrative integration showed these results.
According to CCEJ, 83.96% (869) of the 1,035 provisions concern pork-barrel local petitions, fiscal favors, and devolution of powers. CCEJ said, "It is serious 'legislative land banking' for specific regions to legally mandate priority construction of social overhead capital (SOC) projects worth trillions of won, or to finalize the attraction of a national medical school or research institute without a competitive process."
CCEJ also said, "There are provisions that not only make the extralegal demand to redirect national taxes such as capital gains tax and corporate tax—fundamentals of national finances—into their own-source revenue, but also force the state to permanently cover operating costs of agencies under local governments and even electricity bills of private corporations."
It added, "Provisions that neuter the preliminary feasibility study, a procedure for verifying economic viability, amount to institutionally guaranteeing astronomical waste of taxpayers' money like the second Legoland fiasco."
The bills also include demands to hand over to the integrated local government head even the authority to consult on environmental impact assessments and to lift development-restricted zones (green belts), which are exclusive powers of the Minister of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and the Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. CCEJ argued, "If the market player driving development also performs the adjudicating function (licensing authority) at the same time, even the minimal safeguards to prevent environmental destruction and reckless, haphazard development will be lost."
CCEJ stressed that administrative integration should not be pushed through hastily ahead of the local elections. CCEJ said, "Principles of decentralization and reforms to the fiscal system that can be applied uniformly to local governments nationwide must come first," adding, "Real consent from residents must be obtained through a referendum, not through a proclamation by a local government head."