By Shih Hsiu-chuan Staff Reporter
Vice Premier Paul Chiu (邱正雄) said yesterday that the government would step up measures to stimulate the economy, including formulating “miracle cures” to lift a slumping stock market.
“In next week’s Cabinet meeting, we will present a comprehensive proposal on the economic situation. All possible measures are under consideration,” he said.
He made the remarks when approached by reporters after addressing a forum on technology investment.
PHENOMENON
Describing the global economic slowdown and sharp rise in commodity prices as a phenomenon “rarely seen in the past 20 years,” Chiu said the government would come up with action plans for the short, medium and long term, as well as magic pills to tackle economic problems.
With the stock market plunging further in response to President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) remarks on Thursday that his “6-3-3” election campaign pledge — an annual economic growth rate of 6 percent, an annual per capita income of US$30,000, and an unemployment rate of less than 3 percent — was unlikely to be realized anytime soon, Chiu convened a Cabinet-level meeting late that night.
Officials yesterday refused to elaborate on what was discussed during the meeting, saying it was one of a series of preparatory meetings the Cabinet would hold in the coming days for the economic proposal to be discussed at next week’s meeting.
“The proposal will cover a range of economic issues, including policies to encourage investment, increase purchasing power, expand domestic demand in energy-saving and carbon reduction-related industries and stimulate the stock market,” Minister Without Portfolio Chu Yun-peng (朱雲鵬) told a press conference.
GIFT-GIVING
In related developments, Minister Cheng Ching-hsiu (陳清秀) of the Central Personnel Administration of the Executive Yuan told a press conference that a regulation prohibiting civil servants from accepting gifts valued above NT$500 does not apply in all circumstances.
His remarks came in the wake of a suggestion by Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) that the government should revise the regulation in the Ethics Directions for Civil Servants (公務人員倫理規範), as it has become an obstacle to domestic consumption.
The government put the ethics directions into practice on Aug. 1 as part of its efforts to establish “clean government.”
“The regulation only applies in situations where civil servants receive gifts from those who have material interests in the activities of the civil servants,” Chen said.
If the givers are not considered “interested parties,” the civil servants can accept gifts of up to NT$3,000 in value but no more than NT$10,000 a year, Chen said.
“If a giver is a good friend of a civil servant, accepting gifts of more than NT$6,000 in value is fine. We encourage civil servants to engage in reasonable consumption,” Chen said.
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