Dear editor,
I'm writing in response to an Oct. 21 Korea Times article, ``Shameful Scandal.'' Koreans were outraged to hear the news that about 40,000 government officials are suspected of illegally receiving farm subsidies. I'd like to point out three things that should be considered in handling the rice subsidy scam.
Most of all, the Lee Myung-bak government must not make the Roh Moo-hyun government a scapegoat for the recent subsidy scandal. The government is finger-pointing that the previous government mismanaged the policy and tried to cover it up.
Then, what did the power transition committee do? It is said that the committee was not interested in the problems when they were reported. It is more important to punish the criminals fairly and quickly rather than judge whose fault it is. The government should show that any one who breaks the law will be punished irrespective of his or her rank.
Secondly, the prevailing ``moral hazard'' among government officials should be weeded out on this occasion. Significant numbers of officials misused the farm subsidy as a way of avoiding taxes when selling land. Officials should have applied the same standard to themselves as they apply to civilians in paying taxes.
Thirdly, the policymakers should revise the law and regulations to ensure that actual farmers can benefit from the subsidies. The related government agencies should take the responsibility for the written farming confirmations without letting village headmen do this.
This procedure can be supplemented by making landowners submit documents like receipts for buying fertilizer or pesticide. It is also possible for officials to compare addresses between residential and farming lands and provide local authorities with a list of disqualified applicants.
President Lee and his Cabinet ministers have been criticized for only working for the rich and the upper class. The government should make its efforts to eradicate sources of evil, ferreting out ineligible beneficiaries, if it wants to alleviate the wrath of the people.
Oh Hye-jeong Middle school teacher Heajung35@hanmail.net