The central government is seeking to curb hikes in public utility fees by local governments.

First Vice Finance Minister Lee Eog-won unveiled the plan on Friday during a vice ministers’ meeting in Seoul on consumer prices. 

Lee said the government is calling on local governments who are planning to adjust city bus and taxi fares to freeze or delay these hikes.

The minister added the government will also ask local governments planning to raise their water and sewage service costs and costs of garbage bags in the first half of the year to delay such plans.

Lee said the government has assessed that no local government is planning to raise the prices of gas or urban railways in the first half. 

Also during Friday’s meeting,  the administration will join with all local governments to set up a price control system in a bid to manage public utility prices in tandem with the central government’s price stabilization efforts.