The Executive Yuan’s proposals on the founding of semiconductor research academies at local universities, the establishment of a new digital development ministry and a space development bill would be the priorities for the new legislative session starting today.
A draft amendment to the organic act for a digital development ministry, proposed changes to the Culture and Arts Reward Act (文化藝術獎助條例) and a draft bill on developing key national industries are also to be introduced.
The draft act on developing key national industries aims to provide a legal basis to establish a “semiconductor academy” at top universities that would produce 400 graduates with a master’s or doctorate degree in relevant fields of study.
The draft amendment to the organic act for the ministry of digital development is more controversial and the Executive Yuan hopes to discuss the proposal with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus before submitting it to the legislature, the Executive said.
The Executive Yuan also hopes that the Legislative Yuan would prioritize the draft amendment to the Commodity Tax Act (貨物稅條例) and the draft space development act for review.
“We hope that all proposed draft bills and amendments will be fast-tracked by the Legislative Yuan,” Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said.
Lo also urged ministries to work with the legislative caucuses to obtain their support.
Separately, Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) is expected to appear at the Legislative Yuan today to report on the special fund project for the hog industry, as well as the import of vaccines for COVID-19.
The proposed NT$13 billion (US$460 million) special fund would be used to guarantee hog farmers’ benefits, subsidize an increased premium payout for pigs dying; strategically expand Taiwan’s pork exports; promote the modernization of slaughterhouses; subsidize the modernization of hog farm facilities; step up inspections of imported pork for ractopamine, and labeling and promoting the use of local pork at restaurants.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition