Pres. Lee Urges Swift Execution of Budget Plans

President Lee Myung-bak urged yesterday the immediate implementation of fiscal spending in the wake of the parliamentary passage of next year’s budget bill Sunday.

While chairing an emergency meeting of economy-related ministries at the presidential office, President Lee said, “With the parliamentary approval of the budget bill, each ministry should swiftly execute fiscal expenditures so that the people can feel the effects as soon as possible.”

Lee ordered the meeting organized yesterday while in Japan for a tripartite summit with Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.

Attending the meeting in Seoul were Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, Presidential Chief of Staff Chung Chung-kil, Strategy and Finance Minister Kang Man-soo, and economy-related ministers and senior presidential secretaries.

President Lee stressed measures to help the poor, saying, “Securing the welfare of the abject poor is the government’s responsibility. Relevant ministries must come up with emergency measures to provide them with food, clothing and shelter as well as education for their children.”

On implementing the budget plan, the president asked for synergistic effects by concentrating funding on essential areas instead of splitting them over a larger number of areas.

“For prompt and effective implementation of the budget, institutional support such as provision of incentives is necessary for public officials to break from the bureaucratic way of thinking and streamline administrative procedures,” he said.

President Lee also urged ministries to temporarily simplify budget execution procedures for early implementation of social infrastructure projects and to consider the impact on the environment, tourism and culture.

“State spending is not for consumption but for production. When tax money is used productively, we can overcome this crisis and make a leap forward,” he said.

On the results of the meeting, President Lee’s spokesman Lee Dong-kwan told reporters, “The president was briefed on each ministry’s key tasks and the details are likely to be announced Tuesday as economy management plans.”

mhpark@donga.com