SEOUL, KOREA --- At the 8th Crisis Management Meeting, Strategy and Finance Minister Bahk Jae-wan talked The importance of job creation, fiscal conditions of local governments, and the establishment of state research center on technology and science.
Before discussing the topics, Minister Bahk expressed concern over the 2012 budget legislation that has been delayed missing the deadline. He warned that the delay would have a negative impact on the economy, since the government plans to boost the economy through the early execution of the budget in the first half of 2012. Thus the budget bill needs to be passed as soon as possible, he added.
Minister Bahk emphasized the importance of job creation, saying that the government’s 2012 economic policy goals of stimulating the economy and improving the living quality of the middle- and low-income classes could be achieved by creating jobs after all. Thus, the government will do its utmost to create jobs especially by encouraging public sector employment. Next year’s public sector jobs will be 14,000, an increase from this year’s 10,000. More public sector jobs will be available to high school graduates and the “glass ceiling” in the public sector that has served as discrimination against educational backgrounds and gender should be removed, he added.
Minister Bahk pointed that some local governments are struggling with heavy debts from loose fiscal management. Debts tend to increase dramatically, so the local governments and public enterprises should be on the alert for any hint of deterioration in fiscal conditions, he said.
Government-financed institutes on science and technology will merge into tentatively named
state research center under the National Science and Technology Commission. The center will lay institutional foundation on encouraging studies on convergence science and technology, he said. The center will provide a genuine opportunity for convergence science study, contributing to advanced science and technology, he added.
