Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon says the government will play an active role in sustainable growth.
 
Lee made the pledge on Monday at a question and answer session of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Budget and Accounts that will review the government’s budget plan for next year.
 
The prime minister said the government must take on more active and preemptive efforts for such growth.
 
He explained that the government’s spending plan for next year stands at 429 trillion won, or up seven-point-one percent from this year’s budget. Lee said the government’s active role is needed in the face of not very optimistic indices.
 
Lee said though the nation’s economy is seeing signs of short-term recovery due to growth in exports and execution of the supplementary budget, many key indices continue to be rather bleak.
 
He cited that even though the nation’s economic growth is set to exceed three percent, potential economic growth is likely to stand at below three percent and see a further drop.
 
Lee also noted that though the employment rate has been on a steady rise since 2009, the unemployment rate is not improving.
 
The prime minister said North Korea’s nuclear and missile provocations are sparking security fears, adding that the government plans to expand defense costs by the sharpest margin since 2009 in a bid to strengthen deterrence capability.