President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is considering a policy that would require male staff at the Presidential Office to stop wearing suits and ties to cut down on air conditioning costs.
Ma, who along with Vice President Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) spent yesterday morning visiting staff at the Presidential Office building, told reporters his office would make his decision on the matter public at an appropriate time.
Ma made the remark in response to reporters’ who asked why he was just in a shirt and tie in the press room.
The Ma administration has been promoting energy conservation and carbon-emission reduction. Presidential Office officials have set an example by swapping their big limos for smaller cars.
The Cabinet has said it would follow suit.
Setting another example, Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Yeh Chin-chuan (葉金川) is riding his bicycle to work every morning.
During a presidential debate, Ma pledged to reduce energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions to meet the emissions target set by the Kyoto Protocol, as well as plant 60,000 hectares of new forest to help sustainable development.
He also promised to draw up an energy-saving and emission-reduction plan and demand that heavily polluting companies meet energy-saving regulations to maintain a balance between development and environmental protection.
Meanwhile, the Executive Yuan issued four directives to government agencies on energy saving and carbon-emission reduction with a view to encouraging officials to carry out energy conservation at work and in their daily lives, government spokeswoman Vanessa Shih (史亞平) said yesterday.
Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) hoped that public servants would reduce oil and electricity consumption when at work, avoid engaging in unnecessary social activities and implement the states’ policies on energy saving and emissions reduction at all times, Shih said.
The vehicle allocated to the premier is a Cadillac DTS 4600cc, but Liu has used a Toyota Camry 3000cc instead when he was not on ceremonial duties, Shih said.
Liu came up with the four principles after talking with Vice Premier Paul Chiu (邱正雄) and the Executive Yuan Secretary-General Hsueh Hsiang-chuan (薛香川) on how to implement Ma’s recent energy conservation pledge.
Minister without Portfolio Tsai Hsun-hsiung (蔡勳雄) was assigned by Liu yesterday to work with the Environment Protection Administration and the Bureau of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs to map out concrete measures to save energy consumption, Shih said.
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