Legislators yesterday passed the third reading of amendments to Article 49 of the Electricity Act (電業法), which stipulate that at least half of the electricity price evaluation committee should be made up of civilian representatives, and a resolution to invite President William Lai (賴清德) to present a state of the nation address at the Legislative Yuan.
They also passed a motion proposed by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) that the government remove restrictions on group tours to China.
On the last day of this year’s first legislative session, the legislators attempted to deal with dozens of bills through negotiations or voting.
Photo: Lin Che-yuan, Taipei Times
The TPP’s version of amendments to Article 49 of the Electricity Act passed the third reading.
The amendments state that civilian representatives, which include experts and civic group members, should make up at least half of the members of an electricity price evaluation committee.
The committee’s evaluation method would be decided by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, based on the principle of fairness, justice and transparency, they say.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
The KMT first proposed the amendment, saying that power price hikes must be approved by the legislature.
Legislators also passed the TPP’s and the KMT’s joint proposal to observe the newly amended Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法) and invite the president to present a state of the nation address at the legislature.
The president would be obliged to respond to legislators’ questions, while issues such as how long the questions should be, how many legislators would be allowed to ask questions, the order of priority and the ratio of legislators from different political parties, would be discussed and agreed upon through cross-caucus negotiations.
The TPP’s and the KMT’s proposal demanding that the government remove restrictions on group tours to China, and prioritize Chinese tourists and tour groups wanting to visit Kinmen, Penghu and Lienchiang counties also passed.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications had previously banned Taiwanese tour groups from visiting China from June 1.
Lawmakers also passed a proposal to ensure that each point under the National Health Insurance (NHI) program’s point system would be equivalent to NT$0.95 or NT$1 by June 30 next year to ensure the program remains solvent.
It was a rare instance in which a measure is to be implemented without amending a law.
Parties agreed during cross-party negotiations not to pass a draft statute for reconstruction after the April 3 earthquake, but to directly approve a resolution to subsidize reconstruction and promote local development.
The magnitude 7.2 earthquake resulted in 17 deaths and 1,146 injuries, and more than 1,247 buildings nationwide were listed as “dangerous.” It also caused nearly NT$100 billion (US$3.07 billion) in damage to agricultural produce.
Amendments to Article 286 of the Criminal Code unanimously passed a third reading.
The amendments increase the punishment by half of the original sentence for people found guilty of abusing children under the age of seven or those who are physically or mentally challenged.
Amendments to the National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) also passed, restricting all commission members to a maximum of two terms and removing all clauses regarding extensions or reappointments.
The amendments also state that if the committee cannot find seven members as mandated, the premier is obligated to nominate people to fill the positions within three months.
The Tourism Administration yesterday announced that it would reward repeat international visitors with incentives of up to NT$8,000 to boost inbound tourism. The incentives are available to all international tourists, it said, adding that repeat visitors would be rewarded with NT$5,000 and would receive an additional NT$3,000 if they bring travel companions. The nation received 2,990,657 inbound visitors during the first quarter, marking a 3.8 percent increase from the same period last year, agency data showed. Japanese nationals are among groups visiting Taiwan the most. About 1.48 million Japanese tourists arrived last year, a year-on-year increase of more than 12
‘BRAZEN’: The holiday did not stop China from activities that infringe on Taiwan’s maritime jurisdiction, but the CGA is ready to defend the nation, Kuan Bi-ling said Beijing is intensifying maritime pressure on Taiwan, but the nation will never yield, Ocean Affairs Council Deputy Minister Sung Chen-en (宋承恩) said. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) has adopted a “shadowing and monitoring” approach to avoid falling into a Chinese trap to escalate tensions and deepen the conflict, Sung said in an interview published yesterday in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper). China Coast Guard formations patrolling waters east of Taiwan, as well as official Chinese vessels entering areas around Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island, 太平島) and Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) show Beijing’s attempts to significantly step up
BOOST: By operating the same advanced systems as the US military, Taiwan would be better positioned to share and integrate intelligence with partners, an expert said The first batch of MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones has arrived in Taiwan, and is being assembled and tested by drone manufacturer General Atomics and the military ahead of flight trials as part of the air force’s acquisition to bolster its aerial surveillance capabilities, a source said yesterday. The air force allocated a budget of NT$21.7 billion (US$687 million) from 2022 to 2029 to procure four MQ-9B uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) manufactured by General Atomics along with associated equipment such as ground control stations. The US has agreed to deliver the four MQ-9Bs to Taiwan in two batches this year and next
Taiwanese firms’ China investments have dwindled to less than 1 percent of their total foreign investments, putting China-based investments on track for a record low this year, Ministry of Economic Affairs data showed. Taiwan’s investments abroad in the first five months of this year reached US$35.92 billion, Department of Investment Review data showed. Investments outside China totaled US$35.61 billion, up 133.94 percent year-on-year, while investments in China totaled US$310.3 million, down 32.3 percent and about 0.86 percent of the total, data showed. Major overseas projects included Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (TSMC, 台積電) US$30 billion capital injection into an overseas subsidiary,
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