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.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
Chinese embassy staffers attempted to interrupt an award ceremony of an international tea competition in France when the organizer introduced Taiwan and displayed the Republic of China flag, a Taiwanese tea farmer said in an interview published today. Hsieh Chung-lin (謝忠霖), chief executive of Juxin Tea Factory from Taichung's Lishan (梨山) area, on Dec. 2 attended the Teas of the World International Contest held at the Peruvian embassy in Paris. Hsieh was awarded a special prize for his Huagang Snow Source Tea by the nonprofit Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA). During the ceremony, two Chinese embassy staffers in attendance
RSS