Paju, a city in Gyeonggi Province, has upgraded its emergency economic response system to minimize the impact of the prolonged Middle East crisis on the local economy.
The city on Wednesday elevated its existing "Emergency Economic Response Task Force" to an "Emergency Economic Headquarters" headed by Mayor Kim Kyung-il. The move aligns with the central government's transition to an emergency economic response framework. Vice Mayor Choi Byung-gap serves as deputy head.
The Emergency Economic Headquarters comprises five response teams: △ Fiscal Stability △ Economic Stability △ Welfare Stability △ Public Livelihood Stability △ Agriculture and Livestock Stability. Each team operates its own situation room to monitor central and Gyeonggi provincial government policy developments in real time and conduct ongoing field inspections.
At the first policy meeting held the same day, specific support measures for businesses and residents were discussed. For businesses, the city plans to extend local tax filing and payment deadlines, defer delinquent tax dispositions, and reduce public property rental fees. The city will also help export-oriented small and midsize enterprises secure new sales channels and access funding.
To stabilize public livelihoods, the city will regularly monitor prices of agricultural and livestock products and daily necessities while strengthening surveillance of gas station fuel prices. It will operate an intensive period for identifying households in crisis and swiftly connect them with tailored welfare support covering living expenses, medical care, and housing to reduce blind spots. The city will also support visa extensions for foreign seasonal farm workers to ease rural labor shortages.
Measures were also prepared to address concerns over a shortage of pay-as-you-throw garbage bags. Starting on the 10th, the city will sharply increase the average daily supply from 80,000 bags to 150,000 bags through two additionally secured suppliers.
"We will identify practical support measures that residents can actually feel, with a sense of urgency," Mayor Kim said. "As soon as the supplementary budget is finalized, we will swiftly carry out livelihood stabilization programs."