Taipei Department of Tourism and Information Commissioner Chien Yu-yan (簡余晏) yesterday said that she had informed Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) of her intention to resign from her post on Monday evening.
Chien was a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City councilor before she joined Ko’s election campaign in 2014. She helped him win the Taipei mayorship and became department commissioner when Ko took office.
She would be the 23rd department head to have resigned from Ko’s administration if her resignation is approved.
Photo: CNA
Local media yesterday reported that Chien resigned because she had offended high-ranking officials in the city government with her straightforward attitude, or because she has obtained low rankings in employee satisfaction surveys over the past three years.
Chien yesterday said she has been commissioner for three years, and many major projects were accomplished through the hard work of the department, but added that “it is time to get some rest.”
She rejected the rumor that she had conflicts with other officials, saying that opinions toward policies might differ.
There have been more adversities than good times in her career, so different opinions can be discussed, she added.
Chien said that she waited until the city’s budget reviews were completed, and that she wants to rest and spend time with her parents in Nantou.
She thanked her coworkers, Ko and Taipei residents for supporting her over the past few years.
Ko yesterday said that Chien’s main reason for resigning is exhaustion.
Her department had put in more overtime than any other department over the past year, as there were many major projects that needed attention, he said.
“I have asked Taipei Deputy Mayor Chen Chin-jun (陳景峻), who is in charge of supervising the department, to persuade her to stay,” Ko said, adding that he told her she could rest for a month.
Ko rejected the reports that Chien resigned because of her low employee satisfaction ratings, saying that the heads of departments that do a lot of hard work usually have lower satisfaction ratings.
Having different opinions in a group is normal, because he believes in allowing diversity and openness in politics, Ko said.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
BACK TO WINTER: A strong continental cold air mass would move south on Tuesday next week, bringing colder temperatures to northern and central Taiwan A tropical depression east of the Philippines could soon be upgraded to be the first tropical storm of this year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the next cold air mass is forecast to arrive on Monday next week. CWA forecaster Cheng Jie-ren (鄭傑仁) said the first tropical depression of this year is over waters east of the Philippines, about 1,867km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), and could strengthen into Tropical Storm Nokaen by early today. The system is moving slowly from northwest to north, and is expected to remain east of the Philippines with little chance of affecting Taiwan,
RSS