Legislators yesterday criticized Minister of Labor Kuo Fan-yu (郭芳煜) at a legislative hearing for failing to take a definitive stance on national pension reform, with opposition legislators questioning the representativeness of the new national reform committee.
New Power Party (NPP) Legislator Hung Tzu-yung (洪慈庸) criticized the ministry for providing only a three-page report on plans for “generational justice” in national pensions, with different national funds likely to become bankrupt within the next few decades because of a rapidly aging population.
“All you say is that you’ll provide expert opinion to the national committee [on pension reform], which means that there’s nothing to report on or discuss publicly,” Hung said.
"Because reform has to be thoroughly discussed by the committee, publicizing the many alternative plans we have would not have been appropriate,” Kuo said, echoing statements by Minister Without Portfolio Lin Wan-i (林萬億), the deputy convener and executive director of the 37-member national pension reform committee established by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
He added that comments last month stating that the “income replacement ratio” for workers should not be cut were views shared with him by labor organizations rather than the ministry’s final position, and that the national reform committee would make a final decision on what mix of changes to benefits, fees and government subsidies should be used to prevent bankruptcy.
“Everything can be discussed, different occupations must be taken into consideration before a decision can be reached on how much change must be made and it is difficult for me to predict the outcome,” he said, adding that the ministry would “review” whether additional fee increases would be needed.
The pension reform committee’s ability to draft credible reform plans drew skepticism from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators.
“I’m extremely skeptical that the pension reform committee will be able to reflect the opinions of young working people,” KMT Legislator Alicia Wang (王育敏) said, criticizing the committee for including only three blue-collar workers’ representatives.
“There should basic proportionality in representation and blue-collar workers comprise the vast majority of the workforce,” she said.
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