The legislature’s latest evaluation of the central government’s fiscal budget proposal suggests that the government requested funding to pay “fat cats” as advisers.
According to a report recently issued by the legislature’s Budget Center, central government agencies and state-run enterprises often propose projects to hire counselors, many of whom are retired officials or high-ranking officials from other government agencies or state-run companies.
Some of the counselors are hired for more than 20 years, the report said, adding that the appointment could be seen as a political reward.
The report said numerous -government officials were also found to double as counselors at other government branches or enterprises, receiving high pay.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Ming-wen (陳明文) criticized the practice, saying the positions were a waste of public funds because they were often -created as political rewards.
Chen said the government should fully review the system and designate a maximum of two years in office for these positions.
In response, an Executive Yuan official who wished to remain anonymous, said the government respects every agency’s authority to request funding, but added that the government hopes every agency uses funding only for necessary projects to live up to the public’s expectations.
The Budget Center’s report showed that a full-time adviser to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications is paid a monthly salary of NT$130,000, while a full-time technology counselor to the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) receives NT$120,000 per month.
A full-time adviser to the MOEA’s State-Owned Enterprise Commission has a monthly salary of NT$120,000, while a similar position at Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp pays an equal amount of money, the report said.
Other part-time advisers to central government agencies also receive thousands of NT dollars, the report said.
The report said full-time advisers to state-run enterprises — who are often retired company officials — are often redundant.
The report showed that the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp hires its former chief executives and deputies as advisers and pays them a monthly salary of between NT$110,000 and NT$120,000.
The Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control hire former ministers of health and vice ministers as advisers and gives them between NT$8,000 and NT$12,000 per month, the report said.
The State-Owned Enterprise Commission hires former legislators as advisers with a monthly salary of NT$12,000, while the Veteran General Hospital’s branches in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung all hire retired hospital presidents as advisers with a monthly stipend of NT$3,000, the report said, adding that these positions are all allegedly created as political rewards.
Two of the Environmental Protection Administration’s advisers have worked for more than 21 years with a monthly salary of NT$95,000, while the Hualien Harbor Bureau’s advisers have served for more than 22 years, the report said.
The report suggested the Executive Yuan review the advisers’ terms of office, pay and expertise and abolish state-run enterprises’ full-time adviser positions.
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