The Executive Yuan yesterday approved draft bills to pave the way for the establishment of a ministry of digital development, which would be tasked with boosting cybersecurity and accelerating the nation’s digital transformation.
The bills include amendments to the Organizational Act of the Executive Yuan (行政院組織法) and proposed laws on the establishment of the ministry and its affiliates, which are to be forwarded for legislative review.
The proposed ministry would focus on telecommunications, information technology, cybersecurity, the Internet and media communications, Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) quoted Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) as saying at a regular Cabinet meeting yesterday morning.
Photo: CNA
Minister Without Portfolio Kuo Yau-hwang (郭耀煌), who oversees technological policy, has been tapped as the convener of the ministry’s preparatory office, Lo said.
The creation of a digital development ministry was part of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) campaign promise and a policy that is favored by the nation’s entrepreneurs.
Kuo said the Executive Yuan expects the office to complete the preparatory work in six to 12 months, allowing the ministry to start operating in the first quarter of next year at the earliest.
The ministry would focus on the development of the software and digital service industries, upgrading small and medium-sized enterprises, and traditional industries, and creating a globally competitive and innovative base in digital technologies, he said.
A cybersecurity bureau and national cybersecurity research institute are to be established under the ministry’s aegis, he said.
The ministry would also be tasked with overseeing interdepartmental coordination on cybersecurity and efforts to foster a domestic cybersecurity technology sector, he said.
The Executive Yuan also approved amendments to redesignate the Ministry of Science and Technology into the National Science and Technology Council.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or