Lawmakers received special activity funds as extra salary: civic group
The National Assembly provided a total of 24 billion won ($21.4 million) to lawmakers for the purpose of supporting their “special activities,” and the money was used like salary by lawmakers without providing proof of usage, a civic group said on Thursday.
The People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, a liberal civic group, released a report on the details of “special activity fund” spent at the National Assembly from 2011 to 2013. They analyzed 1,296 disbursement documents they received from the National Assembly’s Secretariat on June 29.
“We found that lawmakers cited various causes that does not fit the purpose of the special activities budget but received the funds as if it is additional salary,” the PSPD said.
About 8 billion won is set aside in the National Assembly budget every year in the name of special activity funds. While the money was allotted to ranking lawmakers, the parliamentary speakers and party leaders, there is no information on if the funds were all for the proper causes, the civic group said.
According to the PSPD, funds were provided monthly to members of special parliamentary committees such as those in charge of ethics, and budget, which hold meetings only four to six times a year. Over billions of dollars have been provided to the National Assembly speakers and lawmakers during the years for their overseas business trips.
Party leaders were also found to have received up to 60 million won monthly, while the head of parliamentary committees received 6 million won monthly. But it is unclear if they spent the money for special activities related to their work, the group said.
“Parliamentary special activity funds have been spent without any oversight, and no receipts were required for its usage,” Seo Bok-gyeong, the head of organization said. “We must abolish this practice of wasting taxpayers money.”
The group also called for the Board of Audit and Inspection to conduct a crackdown on the 900 billion won of the special activity funds that are planned for other government institutes.
The civic organization received the data from the National Assembly’s Secretariat three years after they had made the request of information disclosure in 2015. At the time, the National Assembly Secretariat refused to provide the information claiming the information should remain confidential. The group filed a suit, and the Supreme Court made the final ruling in favor of the group in May.
By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)
- 最近发表
-
- Deceased K
- 77% of US citizens support diplomatic ties with North Korea after denuclearization: poll
- Some jabroni brought the coronavirus to a Kentucky “coronavirus party.”
- Floridians pack beaches as coronavirus cases continue to increase.
- 评论丨农事运动会:一场农民的盛会、新农人风采展现的盛会、城乡双向奔赴的盛会
- Kansas Republicans undo governor’s coronavirus order prohibiting large religious gatherings.
- The 12 Best Games on PC
- Twitter, Facebook delete world leaders' misleading coronavirus posts. Could Trump be next?
- US to oppose North Korean worker dispatch to occupied Ukrainian territory: State Dept.
- N. Korea covertly supplying artillery shells to Russia for use in Ukraine: White House
- 随机阅读
-
- 23 Peculiar Places of 2023
- 强化金融支持 释放消费潜力
- Milan stay on Napoli's tail
- CDC calls on NY, NJ, and Connecticut residents to “refrain” from nonessential travel.
- Which is Faster for Gaming, Windows 10 or Windows 11?
- Train derails in central Seoul, injuring 30 passengers
- Stretchable supercapacitors pave the way for super
- 完善交通网络 方便市民出行
- 厚植精神文明沃土 培树司法文明新风
- More than 50,000 Chevy Bolt EVs recalled because of fires — again
- Kansas Republicans undo governor’s coronavirus order prohibiting large religious gatherings.
- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson admitted to hospital for coronavirus.
- Supercritical geothermal power: Limitless promise or impossible dream?
- Mutual aid: how Britons are taking the coronavirus response into their own hands.
- 关于举办中国国际农产品品牌建设运营(广东)邀请大赛年度总决赛的通知
- 找准结石在哪里 你我行动保健康
- New image shows the North Star is changing. And it has spots.
- S. Korea to hold memorial event in Busan for UN war veterans
- [Graphic News] Stalking, dating violence on rise: data
- Amnesty pleads for FIFA compensation
- 搜索
-
- 友情链接
-