Lawmakers serving on the legislature's Transportation Committee yesterday passed a resolution requiring all companies owned by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) to amend their organization rules within two months.
Specifically, the amendment requires MOTC officials to serve as board members of these organizations and take at least half of the seats. In addition, board chairmanships must be held by a minister.
The resolution was proposed by Yeh Yi-ching (葉宜津) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Five other lawmakers, including Chen Ken-te (陳根德) and Lin Ming-chen (林明溱) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Wang Sing-nan (王幸男) of the DPP, seconded her proposal.
At yesterday's meeting, the ministry was also expected to brief lawmakers about the companies and private corporations that the ministry owns directly or indirectly.
These include Chunghwa Telecom (中華電信), Taoyuan International Airport Service Co (桃園航勤), Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp (陽明海運) and the China Aviation Development Foundation (航發會).
grand hotel
However, most lawmakers were interested in hearing the briefing on the Duen Mou Foundation (
The MOTC oversees the operation of the Duen Mou Foundation.
The proposal came after foundation chairwoman Christine Tsung (
Yeh said the government had the right to oversee the operations of these companies because they are funded by taxpayer money.
"These executives are reluctant to show up [at the legislative meeting] because government representatives fail to control half of the seats on the board," she said.
In response, minister Tsai Duei (
"Unless the ministry controls more than 50 percent of shares in any corporation, it has no right to demand half of the seats," he said.
financial crisis
In related news, the ministry was also grilled yesterday about Far Eastern Air Transport's (FAT,
Civil Aeronautics Administration director-general Billy Chang (張國政) said that the company had received US$1.5 million on Wednesday to help pay employee salaries.
Chang also said that FAT's employees had each received payments equivalent to 80 percent of their base salaries and subsidies.
Chang confirmed yesterday evening that Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor (
Meanwhile, the Kinmen County Council is scheduled to review the possibility of investing in FAT next Wednesday, the Central News Agency reported yesterday.
A preclearance service to facilitate entry for people traveling to select airports in Japan would be available from Thursday next week to Feb. 25 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taoyuan International Airport Corp (TIAC) said on Tuesday. The service was first made available to Taiwanese travelers throughout the winter vacation of 2024 and during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition to flights to the Japanese cities of Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Okayama, Takamatsu, Kumamoto and Kagoshima, the service would be available to travelers to Kobe and Oita. The service can be accessed by passengers of 15 flight routes operated by
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS