Legislators of all affiliations yesterday voiced support for a proposal to cut their salaries by 10 percent to help ease the nation's financial burden.
Critics have painted the move as an end-of-the-year election campaign gambit.
The People First Party's (PFP) legislative caucus first brought up the idea during a news conference.
"To help the government stay afloat, we intend to introduce a bill to slash our salary by 10 percent," PFP legislative leader Chou Hsi-wei (
"Hopefully, the executive branch will also embrace the belt-tightening measure and cut the pay of high-ranking officials by as much."
Internal rules allow a lawmaker to receive a monthly salary equivalent to that of a Cabinet minister, in addition to miscellaneous perks that total NT$60,000 to NT$70,000 each month.
Liu Wen-hsiung (
"Considering the economic slowdown and rising unemployment, caucus members all give their thumbs-up to the proposal," Liu said.
He urged the Cabinet to copy the practice and apply the cut to all ministerial-level officials. In addition, a lawmaker may hire six to 10 assistants at a maximum expense of NT$300,000 each month. Those who choose to keep a larger staff have to pay the extra costs.
"By keeping down its personnel costs, the central government may not need to lay off as many civil servants when seeking to downsize its structure," Liu said.
Chou said that the PFP caucus has drafted the bill and will soon ask their colleagues to sign it.
Echoing the call for sacrifice, the DPP legislative caucus said it agreed in principle to a pay cut.
"We are willing to endorse any measure that can help relieve the financial difficulty facing the government," said DPP legislative leader Tsai Huang-liang (
But Tsai quickly added that the salary and fringe benefits currently provided to legislators are reasonable. "The total monthly provision of NT$530,000 is appropriate and necessary for a serious and diligent legislator," he said.
It is said that some lawmakers pocket the money intended for assistants and other purposes.
The New Party, going a step further, suggested the Central Personnel Administration eliminate NT$246 million in annual special funds for key government officials and adjust their salary downward.
"The funds at issue tend to end up in personal pockets, as no invoices are required for their withdrawal," New Party legislative leader Levi Ying (營志宏) said.
He said that once the administration imposes a pay cut on Cabinet ministers, the pay for lawmakers will follow suit.
KMT legislator Liu Kuang-hua (
"I hope they [lawmakers] can come up with more innovation as they have staged similar shows election after election," Liu said.
He noted that legislators and ministers in Taiwan receive rather low salaries compared with their counterparts in neighboring countries.
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