Some Organizations Such As MBC Not Subject to BAI Inspection

It was reported yesterday that an amendment bill to the law proposed by the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) that includes an increase in the number of inspection committee members and the extension of inspection subjects has been significantly diminished.

The BAI notified a bill on August 30 that contains legislation increasing the members of the inspection committee by two, establishing an assessment institute, including 40 organizations that are invested in by government-investing or government-donating organizations into a group of inspection subjects, and making it obligatory for the inspected organization to submit a written plan to meet the request made by the BAI after the inspection. However, a bill that was resolved in a cabinet meeting on November 2 included just the establishment of an assessment institute, which has been presented in the National Assembly.

The increase of the inspection committee members from the current seven to nine was dismissed at the meeting because they concluded that this issue should be discussed in terms of overall restructuring plan of government organization.

In addition, an attempt to make some organizations like MBC, which are invested in by government-investing and government-donating organizations, subject to inspection has been nipped in the bud by the resistance of related organizations.

BAI sources said, “In order to establish an assessment institute early next year, the bill must be passed in this regular session of the National Assembly,” adding, “Therefore, we excluded some clauses that have provoked controversies now, and we have only included the establishment of an assessment institute because it is the most urgent issue now.”

Yong-Gwan Jung yongari@donga.com