The results of a recent survey conducted among Taipei city reporters, questioning them on how they rate the municipal government, suggests that Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬-^?E) should crack the whip on his subordinates to help improve the efficiency of his bureaucratic machine.
Taipei City Councilor Pang Chien-kuo (
According to the survey, which was scored on a zero-to-100 basis, Ma scored highly for his individual integrity (88.68) and approachability (84.12), but was graded lower for his administrative capabilities.
The lowest rank Ma received was 68.05, for his leadership efficiency, followed by 68.41 for his resolution to follow through policies, and 74.05 for his ability to communicate and coordinate effectively.
Reporters surveyed gave the mayor an average score of 74.45 for his overall performance since stepping into office last Dec. 25.
Ma's two deputies, along with the heads of municipal departments and bureaus, scored a combined average of 69.75. Deputy Mayor Ou Chin-der (
"[This shows] the mayor should be tougher and pressure his subordinates to improve the performance of the municipal government," said Pang.
"Although there are advantages to a `more human approach' of running city affairs [as Ma had dubbed his style of management], this does not mean he should turn a blind eye to inefficiency or wrongdoing on the part of his subordinates," the independent city councilor added.
He said that the mayor also scored low on indicators of his administrative capability in a similar survey conducted six months ago, adding that the apparent lack of improvement was something of concern.
New Party City Councilor Chin Li-fan (??舫) said although the mayor had boosted his image by taking part in public welfare activities in the past, he failed to show a resolve to administer city affairs.
"Sometimes he is simply too weak and feeble," Chin said. "And if Ma continues to exert minimal pressure on his subordinates, it's unlikely that the municipal machine, composed of more than 80,000 employees, can run well."
But King Pu-tsung (
"[Ma] has been reprimanding his subordinates in private rather than in public," King said, adding that because reporters are in an ideal position to work as front-line observers on city affairs, the city government would take the results of the survey as a "reference" for future reforms.
But he also said inefficiency in the Taipei municipal government is a "chronic problem" that many other bureaucratic institutions are faced with, and said that the government is currently seeking institutional methods to combat the difficulty.
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