Members of Aboriginal Policy Watch yesterday condemned the government for failing to take effective action to combat the high rate of unemployment among the nation's Aborigines.
“Figures released by the Council of Indigenous Peoples on April 20 showed that the unemployment rate for Aborigines reached 7.93 percent,” said Mayaw Kumu, a co-founder of the group composed of Aboriginal activists and politicians.
This compares with a national average of 5.81 percent in March.
“However, the government is doing nothing to help,” Mayaw said.
Mayaw said that the proposed amendment to the Indigenous Peoples Employment Rights Protection Act (原住民族工作權保障法) — which was submitted to the legislature for review two years ago during the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration to ensure better work opportunities for Aborigines — continued to be stalled in the legislature.
“The Cabinet even made a decision to lower the minimum required percentage of Aboriginal workers at free trade port districts from 5 percent to 1 percent,” Mayaw said.
DPP Legislator Chen Ying (陳瑩) of the Puyuma tribe criticized the government for refusing to grant tax exemptions to Aboriginal labor cooperatives.
These cooperatives were once eligible for exemption from the 5 percent business tax as well as subsidies from the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA).
The exemption ended in December 2007 as stipulated in the sunset clause of the Indigenous Peoples Employment Rights Protection Act. The CLA subsidies ended last year.
Chen, along with other Aboriginal lawmakers across party lines, asked Ministry of Finance officials during a legislative meeting earlier this month about reinstating the exemptions given the economic crisis, but finance officials rejected the idea, saying the national treasury could lose up to NT$70 million (US$2 million) in tax revenue.
“The government gives billions of NT dollar in tax breaks to corporations to stimulate the economy. But it can't grant tax breaks to Aborigines because it is afraid of losing NT$70 million in tax revenue?” Chen asked.
Huang Chin-peng (黃金鵬), chairman of an Aboriginal labor cooperative in Taipei, agreed.
“There used to be more than 280 Aboriginal cooperatives across the country, but only about 50 were left as of September,” Huang said. “Among the 50, only 20 to 30 are actually still operating.”
Huang said that as an Aboriginal labor cooperative employs about 30 people, “the closure of 200 cooperatives means that 6,000 people — or 6,000 families — have lost a source of income.”
In related news, the group also voiced their support for the Pingpu — or plains — Aboriginal campaign to regain their official Aboriginal status.
The Pingpu campaign suffered a setback recently, with the government refusing to allow them to register as Aborigines, saying they had voluntarily given up their status in the 1950s and 1960s when they failed to register with the government at the time.
“You [the government] have explained well the official procedure for declaring Aboriginal status 40 or 50 years ago. However, you have failed to answer the key question: Are they Aborigines?” said Wang Ming-hui (汪明輝), chairman of the Taiwan Aboriginal Society and a co-founder of Aboriginal Policy Watch.
“It's ridiculous to deny someone his or her ethnic identity because of some administrative process,” Wang said.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
Temperatures are forecast to drop steadily as a continental cold air mass moves across Taiwan, with some areas also likely to see heavy rainfall, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. From today through early tomorrow, a cold air mass would keep temperatures low across central and northern Taiwan, and the eastern half of Taiwan proper, with isolated brief showers forecast along Keelung’s north coast, Taipei and New Taipei City’s mountainous areas and eastern Taiwan, it said. Lows of 11°C to 15°C are forecast in central and northern Taiwan, Yilan County, and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties, and 14°C to 17°C
STEERING FAILURE: The first boat of its class is experiencing teething issues as it readies for acceptance by the navy, according to a recent story about rudder failure The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first locally built submarine, allegedly suffered a total failure of stern hydraulic systems during the second round of sea acceptance trials on June 26, and sailors were forced to manually operate the X-rudder to turn the submarine and return to port, news Web site Mirror Daily reported yesterday. The report said that tugboats following the Hai Kun assisted the submarine in avoiding collisions with other ships due to the X-rudder malfunctioning. At the time of the report, the submarine had completed its trials and was scheduled to begin diving and surfacing tests in shallow areas. The X-rudder,
RSS