Worrying that the government will use the Cabinet's extensive advertsing budget to promote President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in the run-up to next year's presidential election, the KMT legislative caucus has vowed to cut off the promotion budgets of state-run-enterprises.
At a press conference yesterday, KMT lawmakers condemned the Cabinet's new practice of combining all departmental promotional budgets to undertake a single annual bulk purchase of media advertising spots. The legislators said they refused to accept the Cabinet's explanation that the old practice -- each department buying its own advertising -- was inefficient
After officials from the Government Information Office and the Cabinet's Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (
The KMT legislative caucus says it will cut off NT $18 billion from state-run Chunghwa Telecom, the Chinese Petroleum Corporation and the Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), as well as from the Department of Health and the Bureau of National Health Insurance.
According the proposal, 50 percent of the advertising budgets for both China Telecom and the Chinese Petroleum Corporation would be cut off. Taipower would lose 60 percent.
The Department of Health and the Bureau of national Health Insurance's promotional budget, NT$ 448 million, would be completely cut off. The KMT said that the department no longer needs that kind of money.
DPP legislators condemned the move.
"It's unfair that even the China Telecom's budget to promote its cell phone service is counted as president Chen's campaign budget," said DPP legislative whip Chen Chi-mai (
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
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