Ill-preparedness, tight schedule triggers skepticism
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Starting from Tuesday, lawmakers will audit 672 ministries, government agencies and state-run institutions for 20 days to check if they spent financial resources for the right purposes and properly implemented policies.
The schedule for the annual National Assembly inspection was unveiled Thursday after the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) wasted months for being locked in a stalemate over the controversial Sewol ferry investigation bill.
The parliamentary standoff twice delayed the starting date of the annual inspection.
The tight schedule and the record-high number of agencies that the National Assembly must monitor have generated skepticism about the effectiveness of the audit, which is one of its key functions.
Those who are familiar with parliamentary affairs have voiced concern that the inspection will be superficial as lawmakers have had little time to thoroughly study the dossiers and prepare their questions.
Along with ill-prepared legislators, some are concerned about "an assertive Assembly."
To date, 47 business leaders and executives have received calls to show up during the National Assembly inspection to answer questions from lawmakers.
The number of corporate leaders will likely increase if and when lawmakers call in more business executives in charge of certain projects.
People in the private sector have expressed their discontent about the way the National Assembly makes the list, and some question the lawmakers' motives.
"There is tons of work to do in our office and we are working hard under immense pressure due to time constraints. But lawmakers make the list of business leaders and executives to show up during the Assembly inspection without thinking twice if they really need them," a source from the private sector said asking for anonymity.
Corporate leaders are stressed as the audit season approaches because once they appear, they have to wait for hours for their turn to answer questions and often ill-prepared lawmakers ask questions just for the sake of asking them, he said.
"It's a waste of time."
Once the parliamentary inspection begins from Tuesday, the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition NPAD are expected to clash as the two sides remain poles apart on many issues.
The NPAD is calling on presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and presidential secretary Jung Ho-sung to stand as witnesses to testify about President Park Geun-hye's whereabouts on the day when the ferry Sewol sank. The ruling Saenuri Party refused to accept that request.
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Starting from Tuesday, lawmakers will audit 672 ministries, government agencies and state-run institutions for 20 days to check if they spent financial resources for the right purposes and properly implemented policies.
The schedule for the annual National Assembly inspection was unveiled Thursday after the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) wasted months for being locked in a stalemate over the controversial Sewol ferry investigation bill.
The parliamentary standoff twice delayed the starting date of the annual inspection.
The tight schedule and the record-high number of agencies that the National Assembly must monitor have generated skepticism about the effectiveness of the audit, which is one of its key functions.
Those who are familiar with parliamentary affairs have voiced concern that the inspection will be superficial as lawmakers have had little time to thoroughly study the dossiers and prepare their questions.
Along with ill-prepared legislators, some are concerned about "an assertive Assembly."
To date, 47 business leaders and executives have received calls to show up during the National Assembly inspection to answer questions from lawmakers.
The number of corporate leaders will likely increase if and when lawmakers call in more business executives in charge of certain projects.
People in the private sector have expressed their discontent about the way the National Assembly makes the list, and some question the lawmakers' motives.
"There is tons of work to do in our office and we are working hard under immense pressure due to time constraints. But lawmakers make the list of business leaders and executives to show up during the Assembly inspection without thinking twice if they really need them," a source from the private sector said asking for anonymity.
Corporate leaders are stressed as the audit season approaches because once they appear, they have to wait for hours for their turn to answer questions and often ill-prepared lawmakers ask questions just for the sake of asking them, he said.
"It's a waste of time."
Once the parliamentary inspection begins from Tuesday, the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition NPAD are expected to clash as the two sides remain poles apart on many issues.
The NPAD is calling on presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and presidential secretary Jung Ho-sung to stand as witnesses to testify about President Park Geun-hye's whereabouts on the day when the ferry Sewol sank. The ruling Saenuri Party refused to accept that request.
