지방자치단체의 농업부문 투융자 실태와 정책과제

Abstract

농정 패러다임 전환에 영향을 주는 큰 흐름은 개방화와 지방화로 요약될 수 있다. UR 협정 체결에 따른 농정 방향의 전환 필요성과 1994년 민선 자치단체장 선출 이후 지방자치체의 본격화가 맞물리면서 지방농정 활성화가 농정의 핵심 의제로 등장하였다. 농정 방향도 가격지지정책으로 대표되는 과거 중앙정부 주도의 하향식 농정으로부터 상향식 농정으로 근본적 변화를 맞이하였다.

농정방식의 상향식 전환의 의미는 실제 정책 수요자가 필요로 하는 사업을 제안하면 심의를 거쳐 지원하는 방식으로, 농업 현장에서 정책을 집행하는 지방정부의 역할이 과거보다 중요해지고 있다는 방증이다. 기존 연구가 주로 중앙정부 입장에서 농림투융자사업을 분석하고 개선방안을 제시하였다면, 이 연구는 지방정부의 입장에서 농림투융자사업의 실태를 분석하고, 추진체계상의 문제를 도출한 후 개선방향을 제시하는 데 목적을 두었다.

지방정부의 농림투융자사업 분석 결과, 중앙정부와 지방정부 간 농정수행 목적의 차이, 지방재정 차원의 개선과제, 사업 추진체계상의 문제들이 도출되었으며, 농림투융자사업 성과 제고를 위한 개선방향을 연구결과로 제시하였다.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the actual condition of the agricultural investment policy system and to propose directions of improvement in the position of a local government. The UR agreement in 1992 and the progress of localization brought a paradigm shift of agricultural investment policy. The system of agricultural investment policy was changed from a top-down system to a bottom-up system. This shift meant that the price support by the government was abolished and the policy consumers (local government, farmers and the agencies concerned) can apply for their required businesses to the central government or a local government. Because of localization and the bottom-up system, the role of local governments has been becoming significant. Local governments are playing an important role in implementing agricultural policy in farming fields and rural districts. But until now, the analyses and researches of the agricultural investment system have been performed in the viewpoint of the central government. Many researchers presumed that the central government and local governments would have the same purpose and direction of agricultural investment policy. As the analysis results of the current situation of agricultural investment policy show, local governments have some different purpose of agricultural policy from the central government. The central government has been trying to improve the competitiveness of agriculture, increase farm size, and promote specialized farming. But the first purpose of local governments is to maintain or increase their local communities. The local governments that have lots of disadvantageous areas in their administrative districts make full use of agricultural investment policy for achieving their first purpose, that is, to keep their community. The central government and a local government should have a correct understanding that the purpose of agricultural investment policy might be different between the two governments. However, a local government has weak fiscal power and it is almost impossible for the local government to perform its own agricultural investment policy without support from the central government. Because of that, the current system of agricultural investment policy needs to be changed in the position of a local government, following the localization paradigm. On the basis of the analyses of the current agricultural investment system, this study suggested some policy directions for improving the performance of agricultural investment policy. First, it is important to reshape the principle and role of agricultural investment policy between the central government and a local government. The agricultural investment system needs to be changed to enlarge the autonomy of a local government. The concrete methods are diversification of agricultural investment supporting means, expansion of the block grant system, and reduction of inefficient farm input support. Second, it needs to improve the effectiveness of agricultural investment policy. Many public officials in charge of implementing agricultural policy insisted that the communication system between the central government and a local government must be improved to increase the effectiveness of agricultural investment policy. And it is important to improve the follow-up control system of agricultural investment policy and merge similar unit investment businesses.

Researchers: Joon-Kee Park, Seong-Jae Park and Kwang-Soo Kim E-mail address: jkpark@krei.re.kr