By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
President-elect Lee Myung-bak's transition team has criticized the Roh Moo-hyun administration for expanding government organizations and increasing the number of civil servants, indicating a drastic downsizing of bloated state organizations lies ahead.
Kim Hyong-o, vice chairman of the team, expressed dissatisfaction with the Roh administration's ``big government'' policy when the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs reported its work to the team, Friday.
``The number of public servants increased by 56,000 and that of government committees by 52 to reach 416 during the last five years. It is hard to understand why some of the committees were set up. The government has shown a lack of ability to manage and coordinate organizations,'' Kim said.
He said that the ministry bragged about its efforts to create balanced development between the capital and provinces, but people had not actually seen such improvement.
``Decentralization of power has not been achieved properly and the government failed to get the public's opinion on state projects,'' Kim said, adding the ministry needs to reflect on its deficiencies.
He also called for reform of the ministry, saying it should voluntarily make efforts to solve such problems and carry out the incoming government's policies that focus on practicality.
``If the ministry shows an active and sincere attitude, it will make the next five years of the Lee government dynamic, as the ministry governs all civil servants,'' Kim said.
Kim Nam-seok, the ministry's policy management office head, said the ministry would reflect on what the vice chairman had pointed out in policymaking, indicating the ministry will follow the new government's restructuring scheme.
Although the Roh government promised to reduce the size of government through ``e-government'' ― a computerized administration and civil service ― the move was not seen as successful.
The number of civil servants was 951,920 as of last November, an increase by 56,000 from the Kim Dae-jung administration. The increased payroll was to strengthen social welfare sectors, according to Cheong Wa Dae.