The National Communications Commission (NCC) might shut down the Telecom Technology Center (TTC) after lawmakers claimed its employees were being paid to do “absolutely nothing,” NCC Chairperson Su Herng (蘇蘅) said yesterday.
“We have evaluated the possibility [of closing the center]. If necessary, we will shut it down,” Su said at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee.
A presentation by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Luo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) had showed that while TTC chief executive Lin Ying-dar (林盈達) was a full-time employee at the center, he had several other part-time jobs at other organizations.
“He is employed full-time at TTC, yet he hardly visits the office,” Luo said.
Luo said that Lin’s total monthly pay might amount to as much as NT$350,000 and he accused the commission of nurturing a “fat cat.”
In her presentation, Luo said the office was almost always empty during office hours, adding that TTC employees were often chatting on MSN Messenger or posting messages on Plurk and Facebook.
Luo said one TTC employee who is paid NT$32,000 a month was only doing one thing at work — ordering lunchboxes for everybody.
“The government has given the center NT$2.3 billion over the past six years,” Luo said. “Look how we have spent taxpayers’ money.”
In response, Su said the commission would investigate the matter.
The center was set up as a research institution under the Directorate-General of Telecommunications, which was merged with the commission in 2006.
Lin, who also attended the meeting, said Luo’s allegations about his monthly salary were incorrect.
“I was temporarily transferred from National Chiang Tung University to help reorganize the center,” Lin said. “I only get paid by TTC and my salary from the university has been suspended and it will only resume when I return.”
Lin said he is paid NT$230,000 a month by TTC, which includes his salary and other stipends.
Lin said the center had several main functions, including maintaining the database for the Mobile Number Portability Service. It is also charged with inspecting and testing electronic devices and doing telecoms policy research for the commission, he said.
Lin said he would look into Luo’s accusations, but he also said that it was possible that the missing employees were at laboratories testing new devices.
Lin said Luo may have been given false information by disgruntled former employees who he fired when he assumed his position.
Lin said the center has an annual revenue of about NT$220 million and that more than half of that is spent on personnel. The average salary is NT$50,000 a month.
“We are aiming to reduce costs by cutting salaries by an average of 15 percent,” he said.
Restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to be included in the Michelin Guide’s review for the first time this year, alongside existing entries from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the France-based culinary publication said yesterday. This year’s edition of the Michelin Guide Taiwan is to be unveiled on Aug. 19 in Taipei. In addition to the coveted star ratings, Michelin Taiwan would announce its “Bib Gourmand” selections — a distinction awarded to establishments offering high-quality food at moderate prices — on Aug. 12. This year’s Bib Gourmand list would also feature restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu
A firefighter yesterday died after falling into New Taipei City's Xindian River when a rescue dinghy capsized during a search mission for a man who was later found dead. The New Taipei City Fire Department said that it received a report at 4:12pm that a 50-year-old man, surnamed Chen (陳), had fallen into the river. A 32-year-old firefighter, surnamed Wu (吳), was among the rescuers deployed to look for Chen, the fire department said, adding that he and five other rescue personnel were in the dinghy when it capsized. Wu had no vital signs after being pulled from the water to the
Organizing one national referendum and 26 recall elections targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators could cost NT$1.62 billion (US$55.38 million), the Central Election Commission said yesterday. The cost of each recall vote ranges from NT$16 million to NT$20 million, while that of a national referendum is NT$1.1 billion, the commission said. Based on the higher estimate of NT$20 million per recall vote, if all 26 confirmed recall votes against KMT legislators are taken into consideration, along with the national referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, the total could be as much as NT$1.62 billion, it said. The commission previously announced
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday welcomed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s remarks that the organization’s cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners must be deepened to deter potential threats from China and Russia. Rutte on Wednesday in Berlin met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Germany’s accession to NATO. He told a post-meeting news conference that China is rapidly building up its armed forces, and the number of vessels in its navy outnumbers those of the US Navy. “They will have another 100 ships sailing by 2030. They now have 1,000 nuclear warheads,” Rutte said, adding that such
RSS