Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday accused government officials, including Premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺), of seeking to take advantage of the pension reform and research programs funded by the National Science Council to enrich themselves.
A Cabinet proposal to amend the Act Governing the Recompense for the Discharge of Special Political Appointees (政務人員退職撫卹條例) would increase Jiang’s retirement pension by NT$12 million (US$400,000), DPP Legislator Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) told a press conference.
“While the retirement pay of private and public-sector workers will shrink because of the financial problems plaguing the various pension programs, Jiang will make a fortune after the reform [of the pension system]. This act is like looting a burning house,” Chen said.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
If Jiang retires in 2016, he will have accumulated 25 years of service — having served 17 years as a public school teacher in addition to his years of service in government — which will qualify him for pension payment, Chen said.
The proposed change in the calculation method would boost Jiang’s pension from NT$2.85 million to NT$14.87 million, he added.
Sacrificing others and benefiting oneself is not the right way to carry out pension reform, the lawmaker said.
At a separate news conference, DPP Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) slammed Cabinet officials for doubling as project leaders in research programs sponsored or funded by the National Science Council, saying it has raised questions about their integrity and ability to focus on government affairs.
Minister of the Interior Lee Hong-yuan (李鴻源), Minister of Education Chiang Wei-ling (蔣偉寧), Atomic Energy Council Minister Tsai Chuen-horng (蔡春鴻), Council for Economic Planning and Development Minister Kuan Chung-min (管中閔), Council of Indigenous Peoples Minister Sun Ta-chuan (孫大川), Department of Health Minister Chiu Wen-ta (邱文達) and Minister Without Portfolio Schive Chi (薛琦) have all served as project leaders for the council’s programs, receiving subsidies of more than NT$15 million after assuming their current posts, Tuan said.
“It seems to me that their current posts are their part-time jobs,” he said, adding that the Cabinet members should resign from these research projects.
In response, National Science Council official Cheng Chung-fen (鄭瓊芬) told the press conference that academics who serve in the government, except those who are posted overseas, can apply for research subsidies, but they are prohibited from receiving payment from the program as long as they are still working for a government agency.
Executive Yuan spokesperson Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) last night called the allegations a “malicious” attempt to “defame” academics-turned-politicians.
It is “disappointing” that the DPP thinks the academics decided to work for the government for the sole purpose of “fattening their purses,” Cheng said.
The proposed amendment to the Act Governing the Recompense for the Discharge of Special Political Appointees was drafted long before the government launched plans to reform the nation’s pension systems, Cheng said.
If the proposed pension reforms were adopted, a professor who taught for 30 years and lives 20 years after retirement could receive a pension of NT$17.46 million in total, Cheng said.
Jiang would have received NT$17.46 million if he continued teaching to complete his 30 years of service in school, higher than the NT$12 million mentioned, Cheng said.
Cheng said Jiang would not be eligible to apply for pension if he leaves the government on May 20, 2016, because his years of service in academia and in government would add up to less than 25 years.
There was no truth to the DPP’s allegations, Cheng said.
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
VIGILANCE: The military is paying close attention to actions that might damage peace and stability in the region, the deputy minister of national defense said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) might consider initiating a hack on Taiwanese networks on May 20, the day of the inauguration ceremony of president-elect William Lai (賴清德), sources familiar with cross-strait issues said. While US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s statement of the US expectation “that all sides will conduct themselves with restraint and prudence in the period ahead” would prevent military actions by China, Beijing could still try to sabotage Taiwan’s inauguration ceremony, the source said. China might gain access to the video screens outside of the Presidential Office Building and display embarrassing messages from Beijing, such as congratulating Lai
Four China Coast Guard ships briefly sailed through prohibited waters near Kinmen County, Taipei said, urging Beijing to stop actions that endanger navigation safety. The Chinese ships entered waters south of Kinmen, 5km from the Chinese city of Xiamen, at about 3:30pm on Monday, the Coast Guard Administration said in a statement later the same day. The ships “sailed out of our prohibited and restricted waters” about an hour later, the agency said, urging Beijing to immediately stop “behavior that endangers navigation safety.” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) yesterday told reporters that Taiwan would boost support to the Coast Guard