The Central Personnel Administration (CPA) said yesterday that it was “evidently improper” to cut the salaries of top government officials amid the economic downturn, as South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong have recently done.
“The salary level for senior civil servants is relatively lower in comparison with Hong Kong and Singapore, and the salary structure [in the four places] is totally different. In view of this, their experiences are for reference only and can’t be transplanted into this country,” the CPA said.
On Tuesday, the government of Hong Kong announced that salaries for high-ranking civil servants would be cut by 5.38 percent from next month, following the approach adopted by their counterparts in South Korea and Singapore.
The new monthly salary for a ministerial-level official in Hong Kong would be NT$1.3 million (US$39,900), seven times higher than the monthly payment of NT$185,000 a ministerial-level official in Taiwan, while a Singaporean minister’s annual income is NT$20 million, much higher than the NT$2.5 million of their counterparts in Taiwan, the CPA said.
“We have no plan to cut salaries for high-level civil servants for the moment,” the CPA said in a statement in response to calls for the government to follow suit.
The statement said: “Since the government raised civil servants’ salaries by 3 percent in 2005, their salaries have remained the same for four years.”
The CPA said that complaints have been filed by civil servants that the increase in commodity prices over the years has made their salaries inadequate, but the government did not accept the request as it wished civil servants to stick with the public in difficult times.
“It’s the global economic situation that has encumbered the growth of the country. It’s not a problem that can be resolved through cutting salaries of civil servants and a few other people. What is urgent for the government is to cut back unnecessary spending and enhance economic development to improve people’s livelihood,” the CPA said.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
RSS