Premier-designate Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday announced another round of new Cabinet ministers, selecting senior Cabinet official Ho Pei-shan (何佩珊) and former legislator Chiu Tai-yuan (邱泰源) to lead the labor and health ministries respectively.
Meteorologist Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明), who has operated a popular Facebook page about weather forecasts, is to take charge of the Ministry of Environment, Cho said at a news conference in Taipei.
Tseng Chih-yung (曾智勇) is to become Council of Indigenous Peoples minister, while Tainan City Government official Ku Hsiu-fei (古秀妃) is to become Hakka Affairs Council minister, Cho said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Taiwan is facing “a volatile situation” that requires the unity of all to “overcome challenges and ensure sustainable development,” Cho said, citing climate change and economic headwinds.
The newly appointed ministers would be responsible for important policies concerning the welfare of not only the public, but also future generations, he said.
Cho said 56-year-old Ho, who has served as the Cabinet’s deputy secretary-general since 2016, was active in labor movements when she was young and would strive to “become the guardian of workers’ rights and interests” in her new role heading the Ministry of Labor.
“Over the past eight years, she has participated in decisions on many pieces of legislation and systems, and helped coordinate issues in the administrative and legislative spheres,” Cho said of Ho, one of only four women among the 20 Cabinet appointments made to date.
Chiu, a physician for more than 30 years, has a strong medical background, including his work as honorary president of the Taiwan Medical Association and as a professor at National Taiwan University’s College of Medicine, Cho said.
“Chiu was also a [Democratic Progressive Party] legislator-at-large for two terms, so he is familiar with how the Legislative Yuan works,” Cho said.
He would be responsible for promoting smart medicine, food safety and the latest version of the long-term care policy that the administration of president-elect William Lai (賴清德) is to propose, Cho said.
Chiu, 67, has also been a major figure in advocating hospice palliative care for terminally ill patients that respects the latter’s will and rights.
Cho commended Peng for his expertise in meteorology, efforts to raise awareness of climate risks, and long-time advocacy of open government and a net zero transition, Cho said.
“We are at a time where we have to respond to climate change, and the Ministry of Environment will have to ramp up efforts to follow global standards and help domestic enterprises upgrade their response measures and capabilities,” he said.
As head of the ministry, Peng would promote green technologies, the circular economy and green finance, “which are all part of our green growth strategy and all require cross-ministerial coordination and collaboration from all sides,” Cho said.
Peng, 53, is founder and chief executive officer of WeatherRisk Explore Inc (天氣風險管理開發), the nation’s first weather company.
Ku, 51, has extensive experience in promoting Hakka culture, having served as the head of Hakka affairs agencies in Tainan, Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, and as chief secretary of the Hakka Affairs Council, Cho said.
She would be tasked with advocating for the rights of the Hakka community, promoting the language and culture, and popularizing Hakka language services, he said.
Tseng, a 62-year-old Paiwan, currently serves as the head of the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Development Center and as a member of the Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice Committee of the Presidential Office, which convenes regularly to discuss ways to protect the rights of indigenous people.
Leaning on his solid background in indigenous affairs, Tseng would work to expand the promotion of indigenous peoples’ health, preserve their cultures and cultivate more young talent, Cho said.
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