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?”
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