A bill on the development of renewable energy will "very likely" be passed in the current legislative session, lawmakers serving on the Economics and Energy Committee said yesterday.
However, the passage of bills on an energy tax and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was unlikely to proceed as smoothly, with controversies surrounding these bills still lingering, they said.
The legislators and the government agency in charge of drafting a final version of the energy tax bill have not yet done so, while further discussions are required before the legislative Sanitation, Environment and Social Welfare Committee will be able to complete the second review of the greenhouse gas reduction bill.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang To-far (
Wang said that the Environmental Protection Administration had in principle accepted his suggestion of setting up a timeline in which the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a certain percentage must be reached by a certain date.
Wang reported on the progress of the three bills related to environmental protection at a press conference yesterday where lawmakers who visited the UK at the end of last month briefed the media on their thoughts and observations on how the British government was addressing the issue.
They described their visit, initiated by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as significant, as it was the first official visit to the UK since the two nations severed diplomatic relations 35 years ago.
DPP legislators Lee Chun-yee (李俊毅) and Chen Min-jen (陳明真), KMT Legislator Lwo Shih-hsiung (羅世雄), deputy director of the British Trade and Cultural Office Charles Garrett and Bureau of Energy Director-General Yeh Huey-ching (葉惠青) also addressed the press conference.
Lee said that the UK had achieved great success in curbing carbon dioxide emissions and that the Taiwanese government could learn a great deal from the British example.
Wang said he hoped that the Environmental Protection Administration could establish a carbon trade policy in Taiwan within three years.
Lwo said that the renewable energy development bill had to be passed as a matter of urgency.
"We need to consider the impact on the industries that rely on low gas prices and low carbon prices, which will be removed from the market. Meanwhile, we also need growth in the renewable energy industry so that it may replace the high-pollution industries," he said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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