The government's proposal to increase monthly pensions for elderly farmers from NT$5,000 to NT$6,000 has triggered a pensions "domino effect," with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday suggesting increasing the monthly pensions for senior citizens from NT$3,000 to NT$6,000.
The KMT proposal was made during cross-party negotiations held yesterday to discuss amendments to the Temporary Act for Welfare Subsidies to the Elderly (
"There is no reason why elderly farmers should be given more than other pensioners. The increase is based on the principle of fairness," KMT Legislator Chu Chun-Hsiao (朱俊曉) said after the meeting.
Chu said that the party would ask for the proposal to be referred for second and third readings so that it could clear the legislature by the end of this session on June 15.
Vice Minister of the Interior Lin Mei-chu (
In accordance with the Budget Act (
Asked how the KMT's proposal would be funded, Chu said: "The funding is the government's problem. It has to figure that out after the amendment is passed."
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Huang Sue-ying (黃淑英) expressed opposition to the proposal at the meeting on behalf of her caucus, saying that the proposal would make it more difficult for the government to implement a national pension system.
She said the DPP would only agree to the proposal on condition that pan-blue lawmakers promise to pass a bill designed to implement the national pension system before the current legislative term expires at the end of this year.
But Huang said that the proposal could still pass the legislature without the pan-blue camp's acceptance of the condition, given the pan-blue camp's majority in the legislature and the approach of the legislative and presidential elections.
The DPP's proposal to raise the monthly stipend for elderly farmers came in the wake of KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
Although some DPP lawmakers were against the increase, Vice Premier Chiou I-jen (
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS