예산안 심사 속도 내지만 법정기한 처리 힘들 듯<br /><br />The clock is ticking.<br />We're only three days away from the legal deadline to pass the 2019 budget.<br />Although marathon deliberations are underway,... it seems unlikely, rival parties will see eye to eye in time.<br />Kim Min-ji has the latest from parliament. <br /> <br />Prospects appear dim for the National Assembly to pass the 2019 budget plan by the legal deadline of December second, or this Sunday.<br />The parliament's budget committee has until Friday to finish its deliberations -- or the proposal will be automatically referred to a plenary meeting in its original form the next day, unless parties agree otherwise.<br />On Wednesday, a sub-committee did get back to making cuts and additions to the roughly 420 billion U.S. dollar spending plan,... but they've still got a long way to go -- having started the review a week late,... not to mention days of standoff along the way.<br />Tense negotiations are expected during marathon deliberations,... especially in disputed areas... such as the budget for job creation... and inter-Korean projects.<br />It appears inevitable that they'll have to deliberate among a smaller group of lawmakers -- consisting of a representative from each party -- something that's long been criticized as insufficient and hasty.<br />The ruling Democratic Party has called for all-out efforts from all parties so that the bill can be passed by the legal deadline.<br />"We've been criticized long enough for inadequate and hasty reviews of the budget. This must not happen again. I want to stress that the budget plan must be passed by the legal deadline."<br />However, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party has been taking aim at the ruling party and the government for an expected shortfall in tax revenues -- saying that the government failed to draw up the spending plan properly in the first place.<br />"A four-trillion won (3-point-6 billion dollar) shortfall in tax revenue is a serious miscalculation. Whether it's a mistake or not, the government can't just demand that parliament review this. Even if we reach an agreement, the ruling party should clearly note that this is not good enough."<br />For now, the plan is for the sub-committee to finish reviewing major areas of the budget by Friday midnight,... and from there the representatives of each party on the budget committee will fine-tune the details in contested areas.<br />The rival parties are aiming to have the bill ready for a vote by December third,... but it could be later depending on how the negotiations go this weekend.<br />Kim Min-ji, Arirang News. <br />
