A government Web site that aims to encourage the public to contribute ideas on how to boost the nation’s economy has drawn praise and criticism alike from the public and lawmakers.
The Central Personnel Administration (CPA) launched the Web site to solicit creative economic policy proposals on Sept. 12.
The Web site had attracted at least 100 proposals as of Wednesday and many of them were so “creative” that the CPA decided to remove them, a report in the Apple Daily said yesterday.
FLOATING SALARIES
Ideas posted on the Web site reportedly suggested that Cabinet ministers should work as volunteers or that there should be a floating salary pricing system for ministers, much like the nation’s floating oil pricing system. Some others called for the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to share its party assets with the public as a way to boost the nation’s economy.
As of yesterday, none of the messages on the CPA Web site could be viewed.
CPA Minister Cheng Ching-hsiu (陳清秀) explained yesterday that the site had originally been intended to target civil servants and that the CPA’s opening of the site to the public was in line with a pledge made by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) to “listen to the voices of the people.”
Chen stressed that the government was looking at numerous ways of boosting the economy, saying “the more ideas, the better.”
PLAYING GAMES
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) accused the CPA of acting as if it were playing games.
The launch of the Web site, he said, showed that Ma and Liu had run out of ideas on how to revive the economy.
KMT Legislator Nancy Chao (趙麗雲) also frowned upon the Web site, saying that “the Cabinet should propose its own economic policies rather than rely on creative ideas from the public.”
KMT Legislator Ting Shou-chung (丁守中), however, argued that many large companies also use the Internet to seek ideas when formulating business strategies.
Describing the Internet as “far-reaching,” Ting said the Web site could attract a lot of ideas and allow the public to brainstorm together.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG AND STAFF WRITER
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