President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday pledged to ensure financial security for every elderly person in Taiwan and to create a sustainable pension system, as the Presidential Office’s pension reform committee convened its first meeting.
“We have found through various surveys that the nation’s pension system is an issue of the greatest concern. The system is at risk of bankruptcy due to structural changes in the nation’s population and industries, prompting many to fret about their financial security after retirement,” Tsai said in a speech delivered at the first-ever committee meeting at the Presidential Office Building yesterday.
Renewing a pledge to be a “problem-solving” government, Tsai said pension reforms are so pressing that “we will regret it if we do not do it now.”
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The president laid out four goals and principles that she said are pivotal to pension reform.
First, consideration should be given to both the financial soundness of the system and what people can afford when it comes to designing the system, she said.
“Second, within reason, benefits and contributions must be used for the financial security of disadvantaged people. Third, to achieve solidarity, we must narrow the retirement benefits gap between different occupations,” Tsai said.
Lastly, the principles of democracy and transparency must be ensured, she added.
“For future generations, we have an obligation to do more. Please support the reform and join us in safeguarding Taiwan’s future and constructing a sustainable, fair and just pension system,” Tsai said.
The pension reform committee, which was founded by the Presidential Office on June 8, consists of 37 members, including Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), who serves as convener of the committee, and Minister Without Portfolio Lin Wan-i (林萬億), who is deputy convener and executive director of the committee.
Other committee members include lawmakers, representatives of government, agencies and local governments and people representing retired and acting military officials, public servants, teachers, entrepreneurs, farmers, fishermen, women, young people and academics, aimed at conforming to Tsai’s principle of initiating bottom-up pension reform.
The committee is to meet each week, with all meetings to be broadcast live online.
Chen said he hopes that all committee members can tap into their wisdom, compassion and courage to propose sustainable solutions supported by statistics to take of elderly people across the nation, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“Hopefully, we will be able, through our concerted efforts, to put forward a fair and just pension reform proposal after democratic, science-based and open discussions,” Chen said.
However, yesterday’s committee meeting was marred by intense arguments among some committee members, who quarreled over the rules of procedure concerning the submission of proposals, quorum requirements and whether decisions should be made by consensus or a majority vote.
Committee members reached a consensus on the first two issues, but due to time limits and heated debates, the last matter is to be deliberated again at the next meeting.
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