There have been no changes to the Executive Yuan’s plan to implement military pension reform alongside cuts for civil servants and public-school teachers that were approved by the Legislative Yuan on July 1 last year, Premier William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday.
Lai made the remark at a legislative question-and-answer session after New Power Party Legislator Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明) asked him whether a delay in finalizing the Cabinet’s proposal on military pension cuts, originally due on Thursday, meant that the scheduled July 1 implementation would also be postponed.
Lai on Tuesday said that the Cabinet, following discussions with the Democratic Progressive Party legislative caucus on Monday, decided to postpone its processing of a military pension reform bill, as there were still issues to be resolved.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
The Cabinet would still tender its proposal on pension cuts for military retirees during the current legislative session as scheduled, he said at yesterday’s session, adding that there have been no changes to plans to implement pension cuts for military retirees, civil servants and public-school teachers on July 1.
Earlier yesterday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers circled the podium where Lai was scheduled to deliver his administrative report and shouted slogans calling for the pension cuts to be halted, prompting Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) to call a 10-minute recess.
They later cornered Lai with their placards, but soon dispersed to grant him access to the podium.
During his report, Lai wished retired colonel Miao Te-sheng (繆德生) — who sustained a serious head injury and fractured ribs in a protest on Tuesday morning against the government’s plan to cut military pensions — a speedy recovery, saying that the Cabinet would devise a system that best serves the interests of military personnel.
The pension system for military retirees would be adjusted in a way that is conducive to long-term service while ensuring a reasonable quality of life for them on the condition that their pensions would not undermine the nation’s finances, he said.
As the specifics of the system require further discussions, the Cabinet would continue communicating with the public in a bid to introduce a sustainable pension system, he added.
Lai provided an overview of the Cabinet’s policies to address the “five shortages” faced by the nation’s industries — a shortfall of water, electricity, land, blue-collar and white-collar workers — as well as implementing the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program and the Long-term Care Services Program 2.0, improving air quality, expediting the development of “green” energy sources, upgrading investment conditions for innovative sectors, nurturing the high-tech industry, promoting urban renewal and cracking down on narcotics.
He said his team would this year focus on improving people’s livelihoods, making preschool education more affordable in a bid to address the nation’s low birthrate and recruiting skilled foreign workers by building a friendly society and introducing competitive work conditions.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
RSS