Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) said yesterday it was “inappropriate” for Minister of the Interior Liao Liou-yi (廖了以) to pay the NT$6.7 million (US$202,000) lost in the consumer voucher program.
Liao donated 11 months of his salary, a total of NT$1.72 million, along with NT$4.98 million collected by friends.
“There are ways to resolve the shortfall within the rules and regulations. The problem should be dealt with within the framework and not be settled privately,” Executive Yuan Spokesman Su Jun-pin (蘇俊賓) quoted the premier as saying.
After the vouchers were distributed, the Ministry of the Interior, which ran the distribution centers, said more than NT$12.3 million in vouchers had been lost.
Of the NT$12.31 million, NT$5.61 million was covered by insurance companies, leaving a balance of NT$6.7 million.
The ministry said on Wednesday that Liao would follow through on a promise he made in January to personally cover the losses.
In addition to his personal donation, friends held a fundraiser. Liao sent the money to the Council for Economic Planning and Development on Wednesday.
Su quoted Liu as saying that there were other options to resolve the issue under Articles 58, 71 and 72 of the Audit Act (審計法).
Su declined to elaborate, saying that he was not in a position to interpret the rules, which grant the auditing agency the power to write off losses in certain cases.
Article 58 reads: “Where there is disappearance, destruction or loss due to other causes, in cash, negotiable instruments, securities, properties and other assets in the possession of the various government agencies, the case shall be reported, together with the related evidences, to the auditing agency for inspection.”
According to Article 71, the public functionaries involved in the loss may not be relieved of responsibility for their acts until a decision has been made by the auditing agency following a probe.
The head of the agency involved, as well as the supervisors who oversaw the actions that resulted in the loss “shall be held responsible for indemnity payment where it has been found out by the auditing agency that the occurrences were due to negligence of the persons in charge.”
At a separate setting yesterday, when asked for comment, Liao said: “I think I did the right thing.”
“I just did what I should and fulfilled my promise,” he said. “I put a calm end to [the matter] ... I’ll just wait and see how the concerned authorities want to act.”
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LOA IOK-SIN
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