The Examination Yuan decided to amend the government's preferential deposit interest rate for retired civil servants, teachers and soldiers saying that the quota for them to enjoy the 18 percent interest rate should be limited to NT$2 million per person.
"We hope that this new measurement can help build a fairer financial mechanism for all people in the country," Examination Yuan President Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文) said, while briefing PFP lawmakers about the new policy.
The Examination Yuan, which is responsible for the civil service, said many people feel the special rate is not fair to average citizens.
"While other citizens can only deposit their money with banks at an interest rate of 9 percent or lower, the 18 percent interest rate for retired government officials has been criticized because it benefits a particular social class at the expense of the rest of the country," said Lee Ching-hsiung (
Responding to the criticisms, many teachers and public servants said that the original purpose of the preferential rate was to encourage more people to find jobs in public service.
"The government shouldn't try to take back our rights just because they are short of revenue," leaders of the National Teachers Association said.
The Examination Yuan held meetings to discuss how to amend the preferential rate to follow the spirit of the government's financial reform and then it drew up a draft for making some limits on the rate in the future.
Yao Chia-wen (
"According to our new measurement, 82 percent of the 340,000 public servants, teachers and soldiers who have already retired, will not apply," Yao said.
"But those who have served as public servants, teachers and soldiers since 1995 should adopt the new rate when they retire," he said.
Yao added that the Examination Yuan is willing to hold public hearings, if necessary, to allow experts and officials to make suggestions on the amendment before the end of this month.
The government should improve children’s outdoor spaces and accelerate carbon reduction programs, as the risk of heat-related injury due to high summer temperatures rises each year, Greenpeace told a news conference yesterday. Greenpeace examined summer temperatures in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Hsinchu City, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung to determine the effects of high temperatures and climate change on children’s outdoor activities, citing data garnered by China Medical University, which defines a wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of 29°C or higher as posing the risk of heat-related injury. According to the Central Weather Administration, WBGT, commonly referred to as the heat index, estimates
Taipei and other northern cities are to host air-raid drills from 1:30pm to 2pm tomorrow as part of urban resilience drills held alongside the Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan’s largest annual military exercises. Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan, Yilan County, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to hold the annual Wanan air defense exercise tomorrow, following similar drills held in central and southern Taiwan yesterday and today respectively. The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Maokong Gondola are to run as usual, although stations and passenger parking lots would have an “entry only, no exit” policy once air raid sirens sound, Taipei
Taipei placed 14th in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Best Student Cities 2026 list, its highest ever, according to results released yesterday. With an overall score of 89.1, the city climbed 12 places from the previous year, surpassing its previous best ranking of 17th in 2019. Taipei is “one of Asia’s leading higher-education hubs,” with strong employer activity scores and students “enjoying their experience of the city and often keen to stay after graduation,” a QS staff writer said. In addition to Taipei, Hsinchu (71st), Tainan (92nd), Taichung (113th) and Taoyuan (130th) also made QS’ list of the top 150 student cities. Hsinchu showed the
Environmental groups yesterday filed an appeal with the Executive Yuan, seeking to revoke the environmental impact assessment (EIA) conditionally approved in February for the Hsieh-ho Power Plant’s planned fourth liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving station off the coast of Keelung. The appeal was filed jointly by the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group, the Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association and the Keelung City Taiwan Head Cultural Association, which together held a news conference outside the Executive Yuan in Taipei. Explaining the reasons for the appeal, Wang Hsing-chih (王醒之) of the Protect Waimushan Seashore Action Group said that the EIA failed to address
RSS