Central Govt Shifts Some Duties to Local Govts

The government will delegate some of its authorities to local governments.

In a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the government decided to transfer the right to choose property development districts from the Homeland and Marine Affairs Ministry to each city and provincial government. The authority to install and maintain traffic safety facilities, which had been controlled by the National Police Agency, will be transferred to local governments.

The Cabinet meeting passed a “plan to transfer central government’s duties to local governments” proposed by a committee under the president. Under the plan, some 54 central government duties of six ministries will be delegated to local governments.

In particular, the tasks of the Homeland and Marine Affairs Ministry to select property development districts and approve city planning will be taken up by related cities and provinces.

Property development districts exceeding 200,000 square meters have been designated by the Homeland and Marine Affairs Ministry, and those smaller than 200,000 square meters have been chosen by cities and provinces until now. However, from now on, regardless of the size of land, cities and provinces will take the responsibility.

But the government makes an exception for property larger than 3.3 million square meters. In this case, city and provincial governments have the right to designate, but the designation needs approval from the Homeland and Marine Affairs Ministry.

The government will also transfer the National Police Agency work to set up and maintain traffic safety facilities to each local government.

Until now, each local government needed permission from the National Police Agency to set up traffic lights and draw traffic lanes. But, from now on, local governments will be in charge of operating traffic safety-related facilities inside their jurisdictions.

uni@donga.com