Taiwan quick take

■ Politics

Tax offices may face cuts

The legislature's Finance Committee yesterday passed a resolution that bans all national tax administrations from constructing new office buildings, effective fiscal year 2004. In light the government's deficit, KMT Legislator Lee Sen-zong (李顯榮) said tax administrations across the country should take the lead in practicing belt-tightening and continue using the office buildings available. He noted tax administrations in central and southern Taiwan have both proposed large budgets aimed at building new offices for next year. But Vice Finance Minister Wang Teh-san (王得山) said those administrations have had no offices of their own since their foundation and that over the years they have taken temporary abode in real estate that belongs to the National Property Bureau.

■ Society

Taiwan plugged in

Taiwan ranks first among the world's most computerized countries, up one notch from last year's ranking, according to the latest evaluation report from Brown University. The report assessed the world's 198 countries whose government Web sites offer on-line services to the public. Taiwan ranked second last year, tailing the US. Taiwan's ranking moves up to No. 1 this year, followed by South Korea, Canada and the US. Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday requested the Government Information Office and the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission make efforts to let more people know about useful Internet services and make good use of them. The government wants to establish a "digital Taiwan," one the proposals included in the NT$2.6 trillion six-year national development project dubbed "Challenge 2008."

■ Politics

A senior national security official said yesterday he would step down if the National Security Council were found to keep any secret accounts in violation of budgetary codes. Council Deputy Secretary-General Antonio Chiang (江春男) told the legislature's Organic Laws and Statutes Committee the council has no secret accounts. He said that he and NSC Secretary-General Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) would take full responsibility if they were found to have lied about the matter. Chiang made the remarks in reply to questions of PFP Legislator Sun Ta-chien (孫大千), who suspected the council has lobbied foreign public relations firms and received foreign dignitaries with secret funds. Chiang said the allegations were not true as the council is only responsible for coordinating businesses related to national security.

■ Crime

Police stumble on clue

Curious police officers began an inadvertent bust yesterday when they saw a big painted poster saying "Chou Wen-ming, don't sniff amphetamine K and sell the drug," a Taiwanese newspaper reported yesterday. Wondering whether it was a real tip or just a practical joke, officers in Hsinchu, who happened to pursue a fugitive nearby, followed the hint painted in red and white on the wall along with arrows pointing to a narrow lane, a local Chinese-language newspaper said. They stopped at a residence only to discover that two men were trying to clean off a painted sign on the front door which said "Here is the place," the paper said. Police found another woman inside and arrested the three, who later confessed to using and selling drugs, the newspaper reported.