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국회는 갑오년 새해 첫날인 1일 새벽 본회의를 열어 2014년도 예산안을 늑장 처리했다.
해를 넘긴 지 5시간여 만에 예산안이 처리되면서 '준예산 편성'이라는 최악의 상황은 면했다. 그러나 국회는 작년에 이어 2년 연속이자 헌정 사상 두 번째로 해를 넘겨 예산안을 통과시키는 바람에 '여야 합의 처리'라는 의미는 퇴색했다.
특히 예산안이 각종 민감한 현안과 맞물려 정략적 주고받기의 대상으로 변질되면서 국회가 당리당략에 매몰돼 나라 살림살이의 발목을 잡는 구태를 재연했다는 비판에 직면할 것으로 보인다.
국회는 이날 본회의에서 355조8천억원(총지출 기준) 규모의 2014년도 예산안을 가결했다. '박근혜 정부'가 편성한 첫 '가계부'인 새해 예산은 정부안보다 1조9천억원 가량 줄었다.
이는 5조4천억원이 감액되는 대신 복지와 사회간접자본(SOC) 예산 등을 중심으로 3조5천억원 증액된데 따른 것이다.
주요 사업별로는 새마을운동, 국가정보원 및 군 사이버사령부의 특수활동비, 4대강 사업 등에서 감액이 이뤄졌다. '우편향' 안보교육 논란을 일으킨 국가보훈처 예산도 상당폭 깎였다.
반면 6월 지방선거를 앞두고 철도·도로 등 지역SOC 예산은 늘었다. 농민 지원을 위한 쌀 목표가격은 정부안보다 1만4천원 높은 18만8천원으로 설정됐다
특히 복지사업에서는 0~5세 무상보육 국조보조율 인상(10→15%), 학교 전기료 및 경로당 냉·난방비 지원, 사병 급식단가 인상 등에서 증액이 이뤄졌다.
정부가 본예산 기준으로는 처음으로 100조원대로 편성했던 복지예산이 국회를 거치면서 더욱 규모를 불린 것이다.
창조경제, 정부3.0, 4대악(惡) 근절 등 이른바 '박근혜표' 국정과제 예산은 대부분 정부안대로 국회의 '문턱'을 넘었다.
이날 예산안 처리의 최대 장애물은 외국인투자촉진법(외촉법) 개정안이었다.
여야 원내지도부는 당초 이 법안을 국가정보원 개혁안, 예산안 등과 일괄 처리하기로 했지만, 민주당 일부 의원들이 반대하면서 예산안 처리까지 연쇄적으로 지연됐다.
외촉법 논란 속에 예산안은 새해를 불과 12분 앞둔 밤 11시52분에야 예산결산특위 전체회의를 통과했다.
여야 법제사법위원들은 새벽 협상을 통해 "내년 2월까지 상설특검·특별감찰관제 도입 문제를 합의처리한다"는 내용의 절충안을 도출하면서 외촉법의 본회의 처리에 물꼬가 트였고, 국회는 오전 3시50분께 본회의를 속개해 오전 5시15분께 예산안을 가까스로 처리했다.
국회는 예산안 처리에 앞서 예산 부수법안인 세제 개정안도 일제히 처리했다.
세법 개정에 따라 소득세 최고세율(38%)을 적용받은 과표구간은 현행 '3억원 초과'에서 '1억5천만원 초과'로 대폭 낮아지고, 다주택자에 대한 양도소득세 중과 제도는 폐지됐다.
과표 1천억원 초과 대기업에 대한 최저한세율(각종 감면혜택을 받더라도 최소한 내야 하는 세율)은 현행 16%에서 17%로 1%포인트 상향 조정됐다.
<관련 영문 기사>
In New Year, parliament approves budget, spy agency reform bills
After an overnight tug-of-war, South Korea's lawmakers approved this year's budget bill early Wednesday morning.
The National Assembly also passed a set of key bills including those on reforming the state spy agency, accused of meddling in the country's latest presidential election, and legislation aimed at luring foreign investment.
The passage of the bills came after a months-long parliamentary stand-off over the National Intelligence Service (NIS). The NIS is accused of mobilizing some of its agents to post Internet comments in favor of then-ruling party candidate Park Geun-hye during the presidential race in late 2012.
The ruling Saenuri Party accepted the main opposition Democratic Party-led bill to reform the spy agency in return for its cooperation in passing the 355.8 trillion won ($340.5 billion) budget bill for 2014.
The NIS reform bill is designed to strictly ban NIS agents from being involved in domestic politics and enable lawmakers to monitor the agency's activities and budget more closely.
Meanwhile, the so-called foreigners' investment promotion bill allows subsidiaries of the country's conglomerates to set up joint ventures with foreign firms without having to own a 100 percent share in the joint firms. The bill pushed down the compulsory share ownership to 50 percent.
It is expected to help the country's two conglomerates focused on oil refining -- SK and GS Group -- subsidiaries of which are seeking to set up joint ventures with Japanese firms.
A separate bill, which also passed Wednesday, bans new cross-shareholding investments among conglomerate affiliates, a practice that has long been denounced as a tool for owner families to control their business empires with small stakes.
The revision to the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act is part of the "economic democratization" campaign aimed at keeping tighter reins on conglomerates amid longstanding public criticism that they have abused their market dominance and preyed on smaller businesses.
Banning new cross-shareholding investments was one of Park's major campaign pledges.
Under the revision, which is expected to take effect in the second half of the new year, subsidiaries of a conglomerate with total assets of more than 5 trillion won cannot make new cross-shareholding or circular investments among themselves.
But such an investment can be allowed if it takes place as part of mergers and acquisitions or as part of restructuring ailing firms. Also to be allowed are new investments aimed at strengthening the existing arrangements.
The Assembly also passed a bill that calls for strengthening the punishment for child abuse.
Under the bill, those convicted of abusing children to death should be sentenced to a minimum of five years in prison and up to life imprisonment.
Those involved in serious abuse that threatens the lives of victims or leaves them disabled or with hard-to-treat illnesses will be punished with at least three years in prison, according to the bill. (Yonhap News)
In New Year, parliament approves budget, spy agency reform bills
After an overnight tug-of-war, South Korea's lawmakers approved this year's budget bill early Wednesday morning.
The National Assembly also passed a set of key bills including those on reforming the state spy agency, accused of meddling in the country's latest presidential election, and legislation aimed at luring foreign investment.
The passage of the bills came after a months-long parliamentary stand-off over the National Intelligence Service (NIS). The NIS is accused of mobilizing some of its agents to post Internet comments in favor of then-ruling party candidate Park Geun-hye during the presidential race in late 2012.
The ruling Saenuri Party accepted the main opposition Democratic Party-led bill to reform the spy agency in return for its cooperation in passing the 355.8 trillion won ($340.5 billion) budget bill for 2014.
The NIS reform bill is designed to strictly ban NIS agents from being involved in domestic politics and enable lawmakers to monitor the agency's activities and budget more closely.
Meanwhile, the so-called foreigners' investment promotion bill allows subsidiaries of the country's conglomerates to set up joint ventures with foreign firms without having to own a 100 percent share in the joint firms. The bill pushed down the compulsory share ownership to 50 percent.
It is expected to help the country's two conglomerates focused on oil refining -- SK and GS Group -- subsidiaries of which are seeking to set up joint ventures with Japanese firms.
A separate bill, which also passed Wednesday, bans new cross-shareholding investments among conglomerate affiliates, a practice that has long been denounced as a tool for owner families to control their business empires with small stakes.
The revision to the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act is part of the "economic democratization" campaign aimed at keeping tighter reins on conglomerates amid longstanding public criticism that they have abused their market dominance and preyed on smaller businesses.
Banning new cross-shareholding investments was one of Park's major campaign pledges.
Under the revision, which is expected to take effect in the second half of the new year, subsidiaries of a conglomerate with total assets of more than 5 trillion won cannot make new cross-shareholding or circular investments among themselves.
But such an investment can be allowed if it takes place as part of mergers and acquisitions or as part of restructuring ailing firms. Also to be allowed are new investments aimed at strengthening the existing arrangements.
The Assembly also passed a bill that calls for strengthening the punishment for child abuse.
Under the bill, those convicted of abusing children to death should be sentenced to a minimum of five years in prison and up to life imprisonment.
Those involved in serious abuse that threatens the lives of victims or leaves them disabled or with hard-to-treat illnesses will be punished with at least three years in prison, according to the bill. (Yonhap News)
