Premier Frank Hsieh (
"To raise utility prices is not that simple. It requires expert evaluation and the legislature's final approval, so it will definitely take a while," the premier said.
"There is no need to panic but I would sincerely urge the public to help conserve more electric power and water anyway," he said.
PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUI, TAIPEI TIMES
The premier made his remarks during the opening speech of the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday morning.
He said that there are three concerns for the government to consider when it came to raising utility prices.
"First of all, the market mechanism is the most important thing; secondly, [we must adhere to] the government's economic policies; finally [we must adhere to] the government's energy policies," the premier said.
In the meantime, Hsieh also said that the proposal to raise utility prices was meant to encourage the public to conserve as many resources as possible.
"If the prices remain unchanged, people will not learn the lesson that our resources will not always be available. In addition, if people do not consume that much, we will not have to come up with other solutions, such as establishing more nuclear power plants, to solve the problem of power shortages," Hsieh said.
As for gas prices, the premier said that the government would not take action at the moment. He would not say whether gas prices would go up in the near future.
Yesterday was also Hsieh's first time to not wear his jacket and tie to work. Instead, he put on grey "island wear" to meet the press and his fellow Cabinet members.
"Island wear" shirts are popular and are regarded as formal wear for men in Southeast Asia and many South Pacific countries.
"Wearing `island wear' is cool and convenient, and will help conserve power since we do not have to rely on air conditioning so much," Hsieh said.
The idea of men wearing less formal attire to work originated in Japan, which has introduced a casual dress code so that office air conditioners can be turned down to save electricity and help the country reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Under the measure, air-conditioners must be set at 28?C. Men will not have to wear a suit and tie between June 1 and Sept. 30, so that more air-conditioners can be turned down, or off.
The idea was first mentioned here to Cabinet Spokesman Cho Jung-tai (
Cho acknowledged the idea, and said that he would report it to Hsieh.
"I like this. It is comfortable. But the blemish is that the shirt does not have enough pockets for me, so I cannot carry as many items as I did in my suit and tie," Hsieh said.
Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said. Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed. In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
NO CHANGE: The TRA makes clear that the US does not consider the status of Taiwan to have been determined by WWII-era documents, a former AIT deputy director said The American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) comments that World War-II era documents do not determine Taiwan’s political status accurately conveyed the US’ stance, the US Department of State said. An AIT spokesperson on Saturday said that a Chinese official mischaracterized World War II-era documents as stating that Taiwan was ceded to the China. The remarks from the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan drew criticism from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, whose director said the comments put Taiwan in danger. The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that a US State Department spokesperson confirmed the AIT’s position. They added that the US would continue to
The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency as well as long-term residency in Taiwan has decreased, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday, adding that the reduction of Chinese spouses staying or living in Taiwan is only one facet reflecting the general decrease in the number of people willing to get married in Taiwan. The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency last year was 7,123, down by 2,931, or 29.15 percent, from the previous year. The same census showed that the number of Chinese spouses applying for long-term residency and receiving approval last year stood at 2,973, down 1,520,
RSS