President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday defended the Cabinet's announcement to halt reform of the grassroots cooperatives, saying the decision reflects a timing adjustment.
In the face of public criticism, Chen pledged his resolve to reform and urged the Cabinet to start direct communication with farmers and fishermen to allay opposition fears so that the goal of reform will be ultimately achieved.
"The DPP would not be called the DPP if it feared reform. The course of reform is full of obstacles. To take public opinion into account, we may adjust the pace. But [the adjustment] does not mean [we] flinch from reform, nor does it mean there is reversal of the reform," Chen told the media after the DPP's Central Standing Committee.
TAIPEI TIMES FILE PHOTO
Bowing to pressure from the KMT and leaders in the credit department of the farmers' and fishermen's associations, the Cabinet said Sunday night it would indefinitely suspend a three-tiered risk-control mechanism -- which took effect in August -- over those credit departments with outstanding non-performing loans.
The decision, which meant to be a goodwill gesture to the farmers' and fishermen's associations, appeared to please no one after it was announced.
While the farmers and fishermen's Saturday march will proceed as scheduled, opposition lawmakers have suggested that the policy turnaround is a gambit by the Cabinet to coax farmers, fishermen and DPP lawmakers to doubt the government's resolve on reforms.
The dispute took center stage at the DPP's Central Standing Committee yesterday, where the president was forced to make a public speech to clarify the government's position after the meeting.
Chen said for future generations and for the future of Taiwan, the DPP will not fear reform, nor will the DPP fear losing power due to reforms.
But he said the DPP administration had to suspend the scheme because the public still has reservations about the plan. "As long as there is doubt, it means communication is not sufficient," he said.
Chen stressed that the government needs to take its case to the public and let them know that farmers and fishermen are the beneficiaries, not the victims, of the reform.
The overhaul of credit departments with non-performing loans will help the farmers' and fishermen's associations, Chen said. "The reform will not attempt to wipe out all farmers' and fishermen's associations," he said.
The president said that the DPP gained power from grassroots politics, so it places a high regard on public opinion.
"The party hates to see opposition because farmers and fishermen don't fully understand the policy," Chen said.
He called on the executive departments to communicate directly with farmers and fishermen to provide them with thorough explanations on the government's intention to work together toward the goal.
Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) was said to have played a crucial role in the Cabinet's about-face.
Lee has opposed the reform measures proposed by DPP administration. He said in September that the DPP would risk losing power if it fails to tread carefully when dealing with the credit cooperatives' non-performing loans.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official
RSS