Mon, Jul 24, 2000 page3

• Chen's finance policies receive mixed reviews

  DISAPPOINTED The survey, conducted by a KMT think tank, showed that about 35 percent of people think the president's economic policies are very `chaotic'

  • By Monique Chu / STAFF REPORTER
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  Two months after President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) was inaugurat-ed, the administration's financial and economic policies have received mixed reviews from the public, a survey released yesterday revealed.

  To evaluate public perception of the new administration's financial and social welfare policies, the National Policy Research Foundation (國家政策研究基金會), the KMT's think tank, conducted a survey of 1,109 people from July 16 to 19.

  The survey showed that 35.2 percent of respondents said they agreed with the argument that Chen's administration had very "chaotic" financial and economic policies, while 33 percent of them disagreed. Some 31 percent did not respond.

  "The public has shown they have mixed feelings about the administration's financial and economic policies, with little difference between positive and negative evaluations," said Chen Chun-ming (陳俊明), the conductor of the survey as well as a public administration expert at Shih Hsin University.

  Economists like Hsu Chen-ming (許振明) from National Taiwan University, said the results showed the administration had only just taken up office two months ago and the public thus has little understanding of the government's policy initiatives.

  But Hsu stressed that the result should serve as "a warning" to the administration because over 30 percent of the respondents considered the government's economic policy package "chaotic."

  But when asked which issue, economic development or social welfare, should be top on the government's agenda, 38 percent preferred economic development whereas 24.5 percent chose social welfare. Some 14.6 percent said both issues should be of equal importance on the official agenda.

  Respondents also prioritized what they considered pivotal on the government's social welfare schemes if tight finances pressured the administration to drop certain policies.

  Three preferable items fell under the category of Chen's "3-3-3" welfare policy. A monthly stipend of NT$3,000 for senior citizens 65 and older who were not covered by any previous subsidy programs was favored by 25.6 percent of respondents. It was followed by free medical care for children under three years of age (16.3 percent) and a 3 percent mortgage rate for first-time homebuyers (14.6 percent).

  When asked whether the government should save traditional industrial sectors, a policy initiative of the administration, 64 percent said the government was obliged to help these businesses. But 12.5 percent said the government should not save those that are on the verge of bankruptcy, while some 20 percent did not respond.

  Nearly 30 percent of respondents said they wouldn't vote for Chen during the next presidential election if he was unable to realize his campaign pledges, whereas 20.7 percent said they would still support Chen. The remaining 51 percent did not respond.

  Fu Feng-cheng (傅豐誠), a research fellow at Chunghua Institution for Economic Research, urged Chen to realize his election promises on social welfare programs during his term in office in order to secure support during the next presidential election.
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