The National Communications Commission (NCC) lashed out yesterday at Government Information Office Minister Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) for criticizing the commission's alleged inefficiency in resolving disputes which have led to chaos in cable TV services.
"It is rare in a government system that one agency will regularly denounce another one in public," said commission Chairman Su Yeong-ching (
Su said that the commission is an "independent organization," and while it is under the administrative authority of the Executive Yuan, it does not have to adjust whenever there is any change in the administration.
The formation of the commission fulfills the public's expectation of a supervisory organization for the telecommunications industry that transcends any external influence, he said, and it also helps the government counter the challenges brought about by the trend toward digital convergence, he added.
"The GIO was in charge of overseeing telecommunications services as well as implementing Cabinet policies, which made it difficult for the GIO to convince the public that its rulings were just and fair," Su said.
Su reiterated that the commission was not an isolated organization. Even though the commission, by law, is not obligated to attend any Cabinet meetings, it nevertheless sends representatives to offer suggestions on some of the issues discussed.
NCC Vice Chairman Howard Shyr (
While it is still seeking ways to better interact with other agencies, the administration often considers it an uncooperative team member, he said.
Aside from speaking at the press conference, Shyr's thoughts on the issue also came out in yesterday's edition of the China Times and United Daily News. In a letter to the editor in the two Chinese-language dailies, titled "Just because NCC is not a yes-man?" Shyr wrote that the NCC was deemed such a threat to the premier's authority, that former premier Frank Hsieh (
"The mission of responding to global challenges and correcting the antiquated practices of the government should not be carried out by the agencies in the Cabinet that mainly concern themselves with routines and coordination of different departments," Shyr said in the letter.
Su also tackled the issue of the constitutionality of the law providing for the establishment of the NCC at the press conference.
The Council of Grand Justices could find the law partially unconstitutional or entirely unconstitutional, he said, adding that there was no way anyone could predict what its decision might be.
Before the council comes to an official decision, the commission would continue to operate as before, Su said.
In response to the NCC's complaints, Cheng said that the Cabinet had never asked the commission to be "compliant" at all times.
Some of the misunderstanding might have been caused by media reports that have misquoted him, he said.
Cheng said that while he respected differences in opinion, he asked the commission not to guard its position too vigorously and to avoid politicizing everything.
The dispute between the GIO spokesman and the NCC came in part from a press conference hosted by the Taiwan Association of University Professors last week, wherein Cheng reportedly criticized the commission for its inefficiency in regulating the telecommunications industry, creating loopholes that could be exploited by criminals and making it difficult for the government to lower the crime rate.
Cheng added that the commission, which is composed of members recommended by different political parties, seemed to be more eager to settle the license renewal disputes of certain pan blue-affiliated media.
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