Veteran pension plan fair and just: minister

Veterans Affairs Commission Minister Hu Chen-pu (胡鎮埔) yesterday rebutted criticism that a planned pension system grants veterans twice as much as farmers, Aborigines and other citizens per month.

Compared other kinds of pensions, the veterans' pension is the only one that is based on "fairness and justice," Hu said.

He made the remarks while answering a question from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) at a meeting of the legislature's National Defense Committee meeting.

Lin that Hu respond to allegations that were made on Talking Show, a political talk show on the SET-TV network, that the government only takes care of Mainlanders and ignores the needs of ethnic Taiwanese and Aborigines.

The size of the veterans' pensions were proof, a participant said.

"The Talking Show also said that pensions claimed by veterans are mostly spent in China instead of Taiwan. As Veterans Affairs Commission minister, why didn't you rebut the allegations?" Lin said.

The legislator said that such arguments had become widespread on pan-green camp radio shows as part of several pan-green politicians' efforts to justify a proposed increase in farmers' pensions.

Hu with Lin, saying that he had informed SET-TV that it had misunderstood the subject of veterans' pensions.

He said he had informed SET-TV he was willing to join a televised debate on the issue.

"The veterans' pensions are limited to those veterans who are over the age of 61 from low-income families, who lack assets as well as a capacity to earn a living," he said.

"However, such conditions are not included in the pension system for elderly farmers," Hu said.

Hu that about 88,000 veterans, accounting for 17 percent of all veterans, have qualified for the pension.

"And one-sixth of the beneficiary veterans are ethnic Taiwanese," he said.

Hu that about 4,000 veterans had chosen to settle permanently in China.

"Although they might spend their pensions in the mainland, they also save the Taiwan health care system an estimated NT$200 million a year. Meanwhile, the pension system has shown [people in China] how well Taiwan treats its retired servicemen," Hu said.

The minister said his agency was not dominating pension resources.

"We would like to share resources with people in need of health care. For example, starting next month, we will reserve 100 beds [normally] for veterans at the Nursing Institute for disabled citizens from low-income or medium-income families," he said.