The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus yesterday called for the Taiwan and Fujian provincial governments to be abolished.
"Both the ruling and opposition parties agree that there is no need for the Taiwan Provincial Government to exist. We hope that they would support its abolition, as well as abolishing the Fujian Provincial Government so that Kinmen and Matsu will fall under the direct supervision of the central government," DPP caucus whip Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) said.
The Constitution stipulates that provincial governments and two special municipalities, Taipei and Kaohsiung cities, are one level higher than county and city governments.
There are 21 counties and cities technically under the Taiwan Provincial Government, while two counties -- Kinmen and Lienchiang -- are under the jurisdiction of the Republic of China's Fujian Provincial Government. Lienchiang County is the official administrative title for the Matsu archipelago.
The legislature has slashed NT$770 million (US$24.1 million) earmarked for the Taiwan Provincial Government this year, as well as NT$150 million for the Taiwan Provincial Consultative Council.
In response, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) has decided not to appoint a new line-up for Taiwan Province, a move that has been endorsed on both sides of the legislature.
Although constitutional amendments are needed to abolish the provincial administrations, Yeh yesterday argued that this may not be necessary if the central government instead revised two articles in the Law on Local Government Systems (
"We sincerely hope that the new Cabinet will propose draft revisions to the law soon and that the opposition parties will support a legal overhaul to help streamline government and establish a two-tiered system," Yeh said.
The Provincial Government has become virtually obsolete since it was downsized seven years ago.
Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Taoyuan would issue a decision at 8pm on whether to cancel work and school tomorrow due to forecasted heavy rain, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said today. Hsieh told reporters that absent some pressing reason, the four northern cities would announce the decision jointly at 8pm. Keelung is expected to receive between 300mm and 490mm of rain in the period from 2pm today through 2pm tomorrow, Central Weather Administration data showed. Keelung City Government regulations stipulate that school and work can be canceled if rain totals in mountainous or low-elevation areas are forecast to exceed 350mm in
EVA Airways president Sun Chia-ming (孫嘉明) and other senior executives yesterday bowed in apology over the death of a flight attendant, saying the company has begun improving its health-reporting, review and work coordination mechanisms. “We promise to handle this matter with the utmost responsibility to ensure safer and healthier working conditions for all EVA Air employees,” Sun said. The flight attendant, a woman surnamed Sun (孫), died on Friday last week of undisclosed causes shortly after returning from a work assignment in Milan, Italy, the airline said. Chinese-language media reported that the woman fell ill working on a Taipei-to-Milan flight on Sept. 22
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