The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus has proposed holding a provisional legislative session before July 5 to pass an amendment to the Referendum Act (公投法) and other legislation.
The caucus has prioritized proposed amendments to the Act for Industrial Innovation (產業創新條例), the Factory Management Act (工廠管理輔導法), the Income Tax Act (所得稅法) and the Customs Import Tariff Act (海關進口稅則), among other legislation, a source with knowledge of the matter said yesterday.
The caucus also hopes to pass legislative restrictions on retired military officers visiting China and approve the nomination of four grand justice candidates, the source said.
Photo: Lin Liang-sheng, Taipei Times
Vice Premier Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) on Saturday said he would attend a caucus meeting today to help facilitate communication and establish consensus among DPP lawmakers on the proposed amendments, the source said.
A proposed amendment that would make it illegal for retired officers or government officials to participate in political activities in China or engage in “behavior deemed harmful to national honor and dignity” has passed an initial reading at the legislature, the source said.
The amendment is considered urgent to protect national security in the face of changes in cross-strait ties, they said.
The amendments to the Factory Management Act aim to legalize factories on farmland and address the concerns of environmentalists, the source said.
Two main amendments to the act would bolster the management of factories identified as the worst polluters, and would prohibit the construction of factories in water-quality protection areas, they said.
The Executive Yuan has expressed its support for draft amendments to the Referendum Act proposed by the Central Election Commission, but a majority of DPP lawmakers have said that they prefer amendments proposed by DPP Legislator Chiang Chieh-an (蔣絜安), the source said.
Both versions would require voters to provide photocopies of their national ID cards when signing a referendum petition — a requirement that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) opposes.
Some DPP legislators, as well as some social advocacy groups, have also expressed concerns over the requirement, but most DPP lawmakers support the proposal.
Chiang’s version differs from the Executive Yuan’s in that it calls for referendums to be held separately from elections and only once every two years.
A draft foreign repatriation act that aims to mitigate risks facing China-based Taiwanese firms that plan to transfer capital back home amid an ongoing trade dispute between the US and China is expected to pass a third reading during the provisional session.
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
RSS