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Lawmakers dismiss TSU's proposed pay cuts as a gimmick

Legislative candidates with the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) yesterday proposed cutting law-makers' pay in half to promote government reform and cut annual expenditures by NT$5 billion.

The TSU candidates are planning to lobby legislative candidates across party lines to endorse their proposal and promise to turn it into reality after getting elected.

Most active lawmakers, however, dismissed the TSU's proposal as a mere campaign gimmick, saying that lawmakers' pay is not a real reform issue.

Initiators of the campaign, Chang Cheng-shuh (張正修), Tsai Chung-chi (蔡重吉) and Chiu Kuo-chang (邱國昌), said each of Taiwan's 225 lawmakers is paid some NT$320,000 per month, which includes NT$179,460 in salary and roughly NT$140,000 in allowances.

The proposed pay cut would reduce the salaries to NT$180,000 a month, a rate equivalent to the pay of French parliamentarians.

"The per capita income of Taiwan is lower than that of US and France, but our lawmakers are paid more than them," Chang said.

Most of the allowances now awarded to Taiwanese lawmakers should be removed, as they are excessive compared with other countries, Chang added.

According to Chang, Tai-wanese lawmakers are entitled to more than 10 categories of allowances to cover expenses, including electorate services, telephone calls, stationary, transportation, meals, overseas fact-finding trips, health examinations, research projects and office rental costs.

"All of these items substantially increase the income of lawmakers," Chang said.

But lawmakers yesterday said the figures publicized by the TSU were inaccurate and misleading, because most allowances are not payable to lawmakers unless actual expenses have been incurred. Lawmakers said their pay, including allowances, was roughly NT$220,000 a month.

KMT legislator Lee Sen-zong (李顯榮) said the salary of law-makers is at the same level as that of ministerial officials, and that lawmakers should not be the only target if the system is to be changed.

"I think the salary system should be institutionalized and should not become a theme for political showboating during the election campaign," Lee said.

DPP legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) said that instead of halving the pay, the structure of the pay should be adjusted to avoid unnecessary financial waste.

Tsai said the current salary for lawmakers may actually be too low, pointing out that a legislator may need to hire over 20 assistants.

But a lawmaker can only hire 10 assistants at most on a government budget of NT$300,000, according to Tsai, and extra assistants have to be paid for from personal resources.

"This is unfair to a lawmaker who is truly serious about his job," Tsai said.

New Party legislator Levi Ying (營志宏) said legislative reform should focus on how to prevent unscrupulous lawmakers from profiteering from using their position and influence.
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