President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday clarified the future of Taiwan's social welfare system, saying the government will execute the reform of social welfare services in tandem with economic reform in order to effectively fulfill the public's demands.
"All of the government's economic policies should also incorporate the development of environmental protection and social welfare services," the president said in an address at the launching of the National Conference on Social Welfare Services Development (全國社會福利會議).
He added that the government should also aggressively develop domestic service industries, give consideration to disadvantaged minorities and create more opportunities for obtaining employment.
Chen said he hopes the ongoing government-restructuring plan can be completed as soon as possible so that the government can concentrate on social-welfare reform.
Chen said social welfare is critical to sustainable national development, social stability, harmony and internal unity. He added that the forging of an innovative, efficient social welfare service system is an important part of the government's new Six-Year National Development Plan.
"Social welfare services should be regarded as a kind of investment," Chen said. "Therefore, all measures to improve welfare should be seen as balancing the social justice and economic systems. Doing so will prevent problems from happening, so that we don't have to try and solve problems that have already become entrenched in our society.
"The reforms will tie the employment policy to the social welfare system -- turning welfare into aggressive assistance rather than passive relief."
Chen said he was pleased to witness the start of a national social welfare conference because it will chart a new course for Taiwan's social welfare services development in the 21st century.
Quoting British sociologist Anthony Giddens, Chen said a good government is one that can establish a social security system while at the same time upgrading its economic competitiveness.
In the face of the changing global situation, Chen said, Taiwan must undergo sweeping political, economic, public service and social welfare reforms and should use new thinking to promote social welfare services. "We should treat social welfare as a social investment," he stressed.
Speaking on the same occasion, Minister of the Interior Yu Cheng-hsien (
"Therefore, I hope all civil organizations will assist the government in creating a better system that will make welfare institutions popular among all communities," Yu said.
More than 300 scholars, experts, elected representatives and relevant government officials are participating in the three-day conference to discuss a range of topics, including the feasibility of privatizing welfare institutions and of developing a community welfare system.
Some civil welfare organizations criticized Chen's remarks as being too vague to show a clear way forward.
"The President's speech is loaded with many beautiful adjectives, but it has no concrete details," said Wang Jung-chang (王榮璋) secretary general of the League of Welfare Organizations for the Disabled.
"President Chen doesn't stay with us to listen to our suggestions, as he did during last year's Economic Development Advisory Conference and the government has already pre-determined their decisions on some of the conference's major issues, so we doubt the government's sincerity," Wang said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS