The Control Yuan earlier this week censured the Cabinet and the Ministry of Economic Affairs for failing to oversee tenders held by the government-invested China Steel Corp.
The government’s top watchdog body said the failures led to irregularities related to a bribery case involving a former top Cabinet official.
China Steel lacks a standard mechanism governing purchases and tenders and can therefore decide who to sign contracts with at will, Control Yuan member Yeh Yao-peng (葉耀鵬) said.
Moreover, its purchases and tenders are not overseen by the legislature, Yeh said, adding that this oversight led to the bribery scandal involving former Executive Yuan secretary-general Lin Yi-shih (林益世).
While the Cabinet and the ministry have a say in China Steel’s management appointments and operations, they have failed to properly oversee the company’s tendering process and prevent political interference, the Control Yuan said.
Lin was indicted in October last year for helping Greater Kaohsiung-based Ti Yung Industrial Co to secure a slag treatment contract from a subsidiary of China Steel Corp in 2010 in his capacity as a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmaker, in return for NT$63 million (US$2.1 million).
Lin, who reportedly demanded a further NT$83 million from the Greater Kaohsiung contractor last year after he began serving in the Cabinet, also faces charges of demanding bribes, concealing illegal gains and keeping unaccountable assets.
In 2005, at the suggestion of its contractors, China Steel shifted from holding open tenders for slag treatment, to signing five-year contracts with three suppliers, including Ti Yung. China Steel renewed the contracts with the same three suppliers in 2010, the Control Yuan said.
This change in China Steel’s tendering process made it easier for corruption and other irregularities to take place, Yeh said.
The censure was aimed at prodding the Cabinet to push China Steel to establish a comprehensive system governing its tenders to prevent further irregularities, Yeh said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS