President Lee Calls for Significant Increase in Staff Managing Delinquent Local Taxes: "I Believe at Least 10,000 Are Needed"

President Lee Jae-myung on October 27 called on Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung to significantly expand personnel dedicated to managing delinquent local taxes.

During a Cabinet meeting he presided over at the Blue House on this day, President Lee received a report from Minister Yoon on the operational results of the local tax delinquency management team and stated, "I consider this a matter of tax justice and maintaining public order, and I would like to see [the staff] significantly increased."

Regarding a plan to investigate all 12 million tax delinquents over the next four years by deploying a cumulative total of 30,000 workers, President Lee pointed out, "It does not just end after investigating for four years, as follow-up measures must also be handled, so it should be concluded in the shortest possible time." He added, "We need to significantly increase personnel to settle matters early and then maintain the management staff at a normally required level."

President Lee also addressed a report that regular staff positions related to delinquency management in local governments were increased by 290, urging, "Even so, that amounts to barely more than one person per local government, so what can that person do?" He stressed, "A substantial scale must be maintained."

President Lee also explained, "Even if we pay a monthly salary of 3 million won and collect only 2 million won, it still must be done. It is public order maintenance work that must be done regardless of profit, but doing that work even brings in revenue."

He then suggested, "I believe at least 10,000 people are needed in local governments. Wouldn't that create 10,000 efficient and productive jobs?"
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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