Seoul Jung-gu Mayor Seo Yang-ho.

Seoul Jung-gu Office has set its budget for the year 2021 at 532.2 billion won, up 4.9 percent over last year. The total accounts for 482.9 billion won in general accounting and 49.3 billion won in special accounting.

Seoul Jung-gu excluded nonessential projects so as not to waste away ward taxpayers’ money, and it made budget allocations to make ward residents happy and their livelihoods stabilized.

That will be accomplished by reinvigorating the sagging regional economy, protecting the underprivileged and pushing ahead with pending district projects and major priority projects to build a pleasant urban environment.

Here is a look at budget allocations for each budget category line.

The ward office set aside 173.8 billion won, an increase of 5.8 billion won over last year in the social and welfare budget category, including improving welfare spending for the elderly.

That covers a basic pension, the protection of national basic living security, and supporting the disabled and infants, youth & children.

Another 39 billion won has been allotted, up 6.8 billion won, for the social infrastructure and environment budget category, including life waste treatment and refurbishing waste water pipelines.

Another 20.2 billion won is set for the culture and tourism budget category, including the expanding of cultural programs and the operation of librarie.

Just over 10.3 billion won has been allocated to the health budget, up 1.5 billion won, including ward residents’ health management and the prevention of infectious diseases targeting the underprivileged.

Some 43.8 billion won has been set aside for the general and public administration budget category, an increase of 8 billion won, including ward and dong facility management and staff welfare.

Another 10.6 billion won is slated to be spent on education, up 300 million won, including education for infants, primary, and middle school students, and lifelong education.

Among the budget allocations in the social and welfare budget category are 8.4 billion won for a “meritorious allowance” for the elderly for six months, 40.9 billion won for a basic pension, 6.6 billion won for job creation for the elderly, 4.8 billion won for the operation of welfare centers and others; 12.1 billion won for supporting the disabled,; 25.5 billion won for assisting the livelihood of low-income residents and housing allowances; and37.9 billion won in supporting children’s houses.

Among the budget allocations in the social and welfare budget category line are 41.9 billion won in cleaning and environment management; 3.7 billion won in road and facility management, 3.5 billion won in park and green zone management, and 4.5 billion won in wastewater and water management.

Among the budget allocations in the education, culture and tourism budget category line are 5 billion won for supporting school educational programs and environment improvement; and 6 billion won for the operation of ward-run libraries and others.

Among the budget allocations in the health budget category line are 5 billion won in projects to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and non-contact projects; 1.8 billion won in national and general inoculation and 1.2 billion won for the operation of dementia centers.

Among the budget allocations in in the general and public administration budget category line are 7.8 billion won in ward residents’ participation allocation; 4.4 billion for job creation allocation in the dong area, and 8.1 billion won in dong infrastructure facility management.

A view of Seoul Jung-gu Office. (Photos: Seoul Jung-gu Office)