The Presidential Office yesterday defended President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) “6-3-3” economic policy, saying it was announced before the global economic downturn, that Ma had not abandoned it and that it would apply until 2016.
Presidential Office Spokesman Wang Yu-chih (王郁琦) said that the administration would strive to achieve its goals in spite of the global economic slump.
“2016 is the year by which we plan to achieve all three goals. It does not mean that we have to wait until 2016 to accomplish them all,” he said. “As long as the global economy recovers, it is possible that we can achieve some of the goals earlier.”
Wang made the remarks in response to media inquiries about Ma’s comments that his “6-3-3” campaign pledge was unlikely to be realized anytime soon, but he hoped it could be achieved by 2016 — the end of a possible two terms in office.
The “6-3-3” economic policy refers to the goal of achieving annual GDP of 6 percent, annual per capita income of US$30,000, and an unemployment rate of less than 3 percent.
During an interview with the Mexican daily Sol de Mexico on Aug. 26 — the Chinese transcript of which was released by the Presidential Office on Wednesday — Ma said it would be difficult to reach the goal of 6 percent GDP now or within the next year because of the state of the global economy.
Wang yesterday said that Ma’s remarks were intended to bring to the public’s attention the deterioration of the global economy and to advise people to brace themselves for further economic difficulty.
Amid calls for Ma to reshuffle his Cabinet and to apologize for failing to deliver on his election promises, Wang refused to comment.
“We will do our best to reach the goals,” he said.
Wang said that Ma made more than 400 campaign promises and each has its own timetable.
Using the weekend cross-strait charter flights, the increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Taiwan and the expansion of the “small three links,” Wang said the administration had made good on its promise to implement them in July.
The “i-Taiwan 12 construction projects,” however, were an eight-year project, he said.
It was a misunderstanding that none of Ma’s election promises could be accomplished before 2016, Wang said.
When asked whether Ma would keep the promise he made during a presidential debate that he would donate half of his salary if he failed to reach the “6-3-3” goals by the end of his first term in office, Wang said that Ma had been referring to the goal of reaching US$30,000 annual GDP per capita by 2016 rather than all of the “6-3-3” goals by 2012.
Minister Without Portfolio Chen Tian-jy (陳添枝) said yesterday that the government did not view the recent slump in the domestic stock market as a signal of an economic downturn, but that the government would keep an eye on future fluctuations in stock prices.
The government would act should the stock market continue to fall “for abnormal reasons,” Chen told a press conference following the weekly Cabinet meeting, but he did not elaborate on what measures could be taken.
He said the decline in the stock market was a result of adjustments in the international funds’ portfolios following the US subprime mortgage crisis and not a loss of confidence in the economy.
Ma’s recent remarks that it would take eight years to achieve the “6-3-3” campaign pledge was the reason behind the recent slump in prices, Chen said.
Chen said that in the economic White Paper published during the presidential campaign, Ma vowed to invest NT$3.9 trillion (US$122.46 billion) over eight years in order to create 120,000 new job opportunities a year and push the growth rate up to 6 percent.
In the white paper, Ma said that his economic proposals would raise per capita income to US$20,000 by 2011 and to US$30,000 in 2016 and would reduce the unemployment rate to below 3 percent in four years, Chen said.
When questioned by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators William Lai (賴清德) and Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠) in the legislature’s plenary session on May 30, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) said that the Cabinet would resign if it could not achieve the goals in four years.
Executive Yuan Spokeswoman Vanessa Shih (史亞平) said that the Cabinet would make every effort to implement Ma’s economic policies.
Meanwhile, DPP legislators criticized Ma, saying that he had cheated voters and should apologize for failing to deliver and reshuffle his Cabinet.
“When Ma proposed his ‘6-3-3’ policy, he did not say that it would take eight years to accomplish. As a presidential term is four years, people expected results within four years,” DPP legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) said at a press conference.
“The people voted for Ma hoping for a better economy, but now that dream has gone. Instead Taiwan is facing economic regression and the government has no way to solve it,” DPP Department of Culture and Information Director Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) said.
Ma owes the public an apology, the DPP caucus said, adding that he should consider naming a new premier capable of delivering on his campaign promises.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators defended Ma.
KMT caucus Secretary-General Chang Sho-wen (張碩文) said Ma did not intend to deceive the voters with his “6-3-3” policy and urged the public to give the administration more time.
KMT Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) praised Ma’s honesty.
“He modified his promise after realizing that there was a gap between [his] ideal and the reality ... He was facing the reality honestly,” she said.
When asked for comment, KMT Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁) expressed confidence Ma would reach his “6-3-3” goals within four to five years, saying that the increase in international crude oil prices and global inflation were expected to fall in the near future.
But KMT Legislator Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) said Ma should consider replacing Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) if his goals were not reached in four years.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old