Incheon Metropolitan City has secured 7.0863 trillion won in national funding under the central government’s budget proposal for next year, breaking into the 7-trillion-won range for the first time in its history. The amount exceeds the city’s original target and marks an increase of nearly 10 percent over this year, with allocations spanning transportation, welfare and strategic industries that bear directly on residents’ daily lives.
 [코리안투데이] A view of Incheon Metropolitan City Hall © 장형임 기자 |
Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Chan-dae) announced on September 4 that 7.0863 trillion won in national funding had been reflected in the central government’s budget proposal for next year, surpassing the 7-trillion-won mark for the largest total on record.
The secured amount is 186.3 billion won (2.7 percent) above the city’s initial target of 6.9 trillion won, and 612.8 billion won (9.5 percent) higher than this year’s total of 6.4735 trillion won. Once the general grant tax to be reflected at year-end is added, the city expects an era of 8 trillion won in national funding to open.
By sector, the budget reflects the four core strategic projects regarded as Incheon’s future growth engines. In the artificial intelligence (A) sector, 8.8 billion won was allocated for establishing a blockchain hub and developing autonomous manufacturing systems, while in the bio (B) sector, 13.2 billion won was set aside for education at the Global Bio Campus. The culture and content (C) sector received 2.5 billion won for developing region-specific content, and the energy (E) sector was allocated 126.3 billion won for the supply of electric and hydrogen vehicles.
The budget also includes substantial funding for transportation infrastructure improvements that residents feel directly. A total of 366.2 billion won was reflected for construction of the GTX-B line and 203.2 billion won for the Gyeyang–Ganghwa expressway, along with 44 billion won for opening the congested Gongdan Overpass–West Incheon IC road, 33 billion won for the Seochang–Ansan expressway, and 7.6 billion won for six road projects including construction of the Aam underpass. The improvements are expected to ease travel conditions for residents who have long endured chronic congestion and disconnection between areas.
Among welfare programs closely tied to everyday life, 268.9 billion won was allocated for infant and toddler childcare subsidies — the largest single item — along with 25.9 billion won for residential facilities for people with disabilities and 18.6 billion won for customized care services for the elderly. The allocations are significant in that they broadly encompass groups in need of care, including families raising children, people with disabilities and older adults.
Notably, key projects that Incheon Mayor Park Chan-dae proposed in person when he met Minister of the Office of Planning and Budget Park Hong-keun on July 24 were reflected in the government’s proposal. These include the Metropolitan Express Railway B line (GTX-B), the Incheon-origin KTX, the Gyeyang–Ganghwa expressway, support for the Incheon e-eum local love gift certificate, redevelopment of Piers 1 and 8 at Incheon Inner Port, natural disaster risk mitigation projects, support for automotive cybersecurity certification and assessment, and support for future connected cars.
To secure additional reflection of projects not included in the government’s proposal, Incheon plans to hold a budget policy council with the Democratic Party of Korea within the month and to respond to the National Assembly’s deliberation process in cooperation with local lawmakers and members of the Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts.
Mayor Park Chan-dae said, ‘Securing a budget directly tied to the lives of Incheon citizens — including the city’s core strategy of ABC+E, transportation infrastructure and Incheon e-eum — is a meaningful achievement,’ adding, ‘We will concentrate these resources on strengthening people’s livelihoods and Incheon’s future growth engines.’ He continued, ‘We will do our utmost throughout the remaining National Assembly deliberations and continue all-out efforts to secure national funding so that the key projects can proceed without setbacks.’
지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화코리안브랜드대상 신청 최고경영인대상 신청 소비자만족도대상 신청
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