Amid strong criticism from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday remained steadfast over his resolve to cut the city’s “Double Ninth Festival” cash payments to senior citizens, saying he would not back a policy that asks politicians to “play Santa Claus.”
Prior to his policy address on the city’s budget proposals for next year, Ko faced a barrage of criticism from KMT councilors over the cut.
Ko last month proposed the exclusion of senior citizens from high and middle-income families from the payments, which range from NT$1,500 to NT$10,000 depending on age. The move would save the city about NT$700 million (US$21.5 million).
KMT Taipei City Councilor Wang Hong-wei (王鴻薇) said that Tainan, Taichung and New Taipei City have continued to issue the payments, and asked why Taipei should stop.
KMT Taipei City Councilor Lee Yan-hsiu (李彥秀) said many elderly people in her constituency believe the cuts are a slight against them, as Ko’s supporters are predominantly young people.
Ko said Taipei should take the lead in pushing for annuity reforms, noting that the pensions to be paid to the city’s public servants next year, more than NT$12 billion, account for 10.7 percent of the city government’s overall estimated expenditure.
“Taipei residents aged 65 or older accounted for 14 percent of the total in January this year, and the figure will exceed 20 percent in five years time. By then, the city government would have to issue more than NT$1 billion in Double Ninth Festival payments,” Ko said.
Saying the city pays out more than NT$7 billion annually in subsidies and cash prizes that are not stipulated in national laws, Ko said: “If we do not even dare to overhaul the Double Ninth Festival payments, how will we push for subsequent annuity reforms?”
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
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