More than 1,000 civil servants nationwide have been found illegally doubling as managers and board members of private companies, an investigation by the National Audit Office and the Ministry of Civil Service said.
Control Yuan President Chang Po-ya (張博雅) said that the Control Yuan would only look into the more severe infractions or higher-level civil servants, which include all normal offices of the 10th pay-grade and above, adding that each of those infractions would be investigated thoroughly.
Despite the Civil Servant Services Act (公務員服務法) calling for the dismissal of all civil servants who break the law, Chang said that practicality takes precedence, as the dismissal of more than 1,000 civil servants from government agencies nationwide would have too great an impact on daily operations.
The severity of the infractions are to be taken into account when deciding whether a civil servant is given a demerit or dismissed from service, Chang added.
Civil servants from local governments comprise the majority of violators and only a few work in the central government, Chang said, adding that New Taipei City, with more than 700 infractions, of which 300 involve educators, has the greatest number of civil servants breaking the law.
National Audit Office spokesperson Lee Shun-pao (李順保) said that officials in the ninth pay grade or lower would be handed over to the Public Functionary Disciplinary Sanction Commission for review.
The investigation process would take some time, Lee said, adding that tax history of violators must be looked into, while janitors and technicians should be given a chance to explain their actions.
When asked how the Control Yuan would handle the situation, Chang said that all actions would be in accordance with the law, adding that important distinctions would be made.
If violators were listed as board members of family-owned companies, but are unaware of the matter, it is possible they would receive a lighter punishment, Chang said, adding that violators who knowingly broke the law for profit would be more severely punished.
Separately, sources from the Control Yuan said that most cases passed to the commission in the future would be recommended for demerits, with only the most severe cases calling for dismissal, adding that standing penalties for civil servants doubling as a company managers are too severe.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS