Responding to complaints that the government is forcing senior professors out of their university residences, Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday pledged that schools can keep the properties if they can present reasonable plans before the end of the month.
The Ministry of Education will then make a decision about each property.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"We're no hooligan government as some people have alleged. We are trying to better manage national assets -- we don't want to commandeer individual properties," Yu said.
Yu yesterday received superintendents from seven national universities.
The government's request last October that national universities scrutinize the use of their off-campus properties caused an uproar from senior professors living in university residences. They fear that they will be forced out of the residences they have long occupied.
To encourage people to move out of these residences, the government has offered NT$2.2 million in compensation to those who move out before the end of the year. Those who move out before June next year will be eligible for a maximum compensation of NT$1.5 million.
Universities have requested an extension to the government's deadline of the end of the month for the completion of initial plans for off-campus and idle properties. They have asked the government to treat the properties of national universities and state-owned enterprises separately.
Since the Cabinet's 20-member national asset management committee, which is headed by the premier, was launched in April last year, its first priority has been to take care of the national assets of state-owned enterprises. It is now moving to clear the assets of national universities.
Refusing to grant an extension, Yu yesterday said the government will not violate any laws in handling the matter.
"This policy, which was first initiated in 1969, is not new," Yu said. "We will never do anything illegal because the Control Yuan and Legislative Yuan will never let us do so."
Although Yu yesterday promised not to take back the off-campus properties, he stressed that schools have to present an initial plan before the end of this month, pending the approval of the Ministry of Education.
"We will only take back those lots sitting idle in residential, commercial or industrial areas and those without any reasonable initial plans," Yu said.
Although Yu repeated that the committee will focus on off-campus properties, President of National Chengchi University Cheng Jei-cheng (
Yu said that although it might not be easy to distinguish the exact boundary of some campuses, it is easy to tell using the zoning map.
"I don't think it poses any problem," Yu said.
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