Posted September. 15, 2004 21:51,
The number of committees that are led by the president has increased to nine since the launch of President Roh Moo-hyuns administration.
Moreover, budget requests from 22 presidential committees for next year will total 164.6 billion won, an amount three times larger than that of this year.
According to Rep. Choi Kyung-hwans report, a lawmaker from the Grand National Party (GNP) and also a member of the National Assemblys Committee of Finance and Economic Affairs, the budget plans of 22 presidential committees (four administrative committees and 18 advisory committees) for 2005 submitted by the government reached to 164.6 billion won, which is a threefold increase compared to this years 56.4 billion won.
In the case of the Presidential Committee on Culture-Based Urban Development, its budget request increased from 10 billion won for this year to 50 billion won in 2005. The Presidential Committee on Administrative Capital Relocation also requested 11.8 billion won, four times bigger than its request this year.
In addition, the Civil Service Commission, which was allocated 4.8 billion won this year, has demanded 60.9 billion won for 2005 for the purpose of training programs for government employees and briefing sessions.
As the number of presidential committees increases, the number of advisors who are working for committees has also increased to 70 percent since the Kim Dae-jung administration, from 334 to 568 people.
Meanwhile, among the 22 presidential committees, only the Civil Service Commission and the Korea Independent Commission Against Corruption organized their own budget plans. The other 20 committees organized their budget plans as inserts to governmental bodies, such as the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, the Ministry of Government Administration, and the Ministry of Finance and Economy, which are all under criticism for alleged violations of the governments budget accounting law. Regarding this, a high-ranking official of the Blue House explained, It is not illegal, although the budets of presidential committees are assigned to each ministry due to insufficient budget status of presidential office.
Furthermore, as for the 18 presidential committees, they dont have any checking system from external agencies because of the reason that they are not involved in policy enforcement. The Board of Audit and Inspection said, It is difficult to inspect the presidential committees, since they belong to the Presidential office and their roles are defined as advisory function.
Rep. Choi pointed out, Each committee has picked out some smart civil servants from government agencies, and each has produced administrative vacuums. Moreover, these committees are not authorized to make decisions but are beginning to function in the role of policy enforcement, which seems to confuses the nations policy.