**Promotion of Job Housing Support, Immigration Policy, and Livelihood Recovery**
Jeollanam-do submitted a 12.9 trillion won budget proposal for a supplementary budget for the first time in 2024 to the provincial council.
According to the council on the 6th, the size of this supplementary budget is 12.9466 trillion won, which is an increase of 700.5 billion won (5.7%) from the original budget of 12.2461 trillion won. The general account includes 501.8 billion won (5.2%) increase to 10.974 trillion won, special account includes 72.8 billion won (6.6%) increase to 1.816 trillion won, and fund accounts for 125.9 billion won (8.2%) increase to 1.6766 trillion won.
This supplementary budget includes 48 billion won for the ‘Birthrate Subsidy 318 Project’ as the first task to overcome the regional extinction crisis. The plan is to support children born in Jeollanam-do with 200,000 won per month for 18 years to innovate the childcare support system and reduce the burden of childcare and education expenses.
In order to attract and help foreign residents settle stably, as the first province to operate an immigration dedicated department, Jeollanam-do has allocated funds for new projects such as ‘Establishment and Operation of Jeonnam Immigration and Foreigner Comprehensive Support Center’ with 3 billion won, ‘Establishment of Foreign Residents Integrated Support Call Center’ with 2 billion won, and ‘Remodeling Support Project for Agricultural Laborer Dormitories’ with 450 million won.
Newly reflected in the budget for ‘livelihood recovery’, the supplementary budget expands the ‘Special Fund Interest Support Project for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Pillars’ to 10.5 billion won (originally 18 billion won), and ‘Small Business Fund Interest Support Project’ to 3.5 billion won (originally 65 billion won). Also, a new investment fund, ‘Jeonnam Future Innovation Industry Fund’ with 5 billion won, is introduced to support startup companies based on technology.
To support vulnerable groups more closely, the budget includes new projects such as ‘Living Stability Support Project for Victims of Lease Fraud’ with 35 million won to help residents who have been victims of lease fraud maintain a stable life by offering a living expense limit of 1 million won per month.
Other new expenses include the ‘Severe Developmental Disability Comprehensive Care Service Project’ with 5.5 billion won to support care services for individuals with severe developmental disabilities, ‘Emergency and Daily Care Support Project’ with 7 billion won to ensure comprehensive care services without blind spots, and ‘Dementia Treatment Management Fees Support Project’ with 3 billion won for individuals with income above 120% and up to 140% of the median income.
To alleviate the difficulties of residents, new initiatives are introduced such as the ‘Agricultural Food Voucher Pilot Project’ with 1.7 billion won to provide a 40,000 won monthly voucher to vulnerable groups with income below 50% of the median income, and the ‘Community Center Heating and Cooling Expenses Support Project’ with 5 billion won to support heating for 5 months, cooling for 2 months, and provide 7 bags of rice to each household. The ‘Provincial Veterans Honor Allowance’ for the 6.25 and Korean War veterans is increased from the original 30,000 won to 50,000 won with an allocation of 11 billion won (originally 34 billion won).
Jang Heon-beom, the Director of the Jeollanam-do Planning and Coordination Office, stated, “This supplementary budget reflects the policy demand to improve the quality of life for residents,” and expressed, “We will focus all our efforts to overcome regional extinction crises and revitalize the local economy to open an era of happiness for Jeollanam-do.”