Yoon and his party make big pledges about 2023 budget

Politics

Published: 24 Aug. 2022, 18:48

Yoon and his party make big pledges about 2023 budget

Rep. Sung Il-jong, second from left, head of the People Power Party’s policy committee, speaks at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul during a meeting with the government to discuss next year’s budget. [YONHAP]

The government and People Power Party (PPP) promised Wednesday support for young job seekers and low-income households in next year's budget.

Rep. Sung Il-jong, head of the PPP’s policy committee, told reporters in a briefing that his party and the government is focusing on society’s vulnerable groups in planning the national budget for 2023.

“The key focus of our party ... is [spending] on people’s lives and the future generation,” said Sung, adding that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration was on the same page.

The broader goal, Sung said, was to shore up the nation’s fiscal soundness through the five years of Yoon’s term, given that the previous Moon Jae-in administration “wasted” tax money and “emptied” state coffers.

During Wednesday’s discussions with the government, Sung said his party asked the administration to offer 3 million won ($2,235) to jobless young adults who complete authorized job training programs as a way to help them prepare for employment.

Sung said the government replied it would include such support in the budget. The lawmaker mentioned job training programs at Samsung and SK groups as examples.

To support low-income households, Sung said his party asked the government to consider a 50 percent increase in energy vouchers for poor families and doubling the number of recipients of special coupons for grocery purchases. While 5.9 million people currently receive the coupons, Sung said he hopes 17 million people will receive them.

Both sides agreed to consider allocating a budget for a debt adjustment scheme that would help nearly 250,000 small business owners and the self-employed.

Also included in next year’s budget was rainwater tunnels in the capital following casualties and property damage in southern Seoul earlier this month when heavy rains pounded the region.

At least eight people died in Seoul. Poor drainage systems in the capital were blamed.

During a parliamentary meeting last week, Sung called for the construction of rainwater tunnels in Gwanak District, Gangnam District and the downtown area of Gwanghwamun. He blamed former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon for scrapping previous plans for such tunnels.

To support the disabled, Sung said both sides agreed to offer 50,000 won every month to low-income people with disabilities for transportation fees and increase subsidies for companies that hire them.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]