The Ministry of Transportation and Communications aims to transform the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) from a government agency into a state-run corporation by January 2024, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said yesterday.
Wang told reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony in Keelung that the ministry plans to submit the draft statutes governing the establishment of Taiwan Railways Corp (台鐵公司化條例) for review at the next legislative session, which begins on Friday.
“I have in recent months met with TRA workers across the nation and explained to them the necessity of turning the agency into a state-run corporation. I have heard their concerns about changes in salaries and benefits once a railway company is established and what the government would do with the debts that the agency has accumulated over the years,” he said.
Photo: CNA
The TRA would operate more efficiently, flexibly and independently with the organizational structure of a corporation, Wang said, adding that it would be better equipped to run a safe railway service.
Asked about the Cabinet’s new policy of gradually easing COVID-19 restrictions, Wang said that many in the tourism industry hoped for a faster reopening of borders to tourism, but the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) only plans to allow business travelers to enter at this phase.
“We will discuss with the CECC changes to the disease prevention guidelines. It is our hope that Taiwan can gradually open for tourists once the situation changes for the better and the vaccination rate is high enough to cope with a COVID-19 outbreak,” he said.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday said it opposes the introduction of migrant workers from India until a mechanism is in place to prevent workers from absconding. Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) on Thursday told the Legislative Yuan that the first group of migrant workers from India could be introduced as early as this year, as part of a government program. The caucus’ opposition to the policy is based on the assessment that “the risk is too high,” KMT caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) said. Taiwan has a serious and long-standing problem of migrant workers absconding from their contracts, indicating that
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
TRADE-OFF: Beijing seeks to trade a bowl of tempura for a Chinese delicacy, an official said, while another said its promises were attempts to interfere in the polls The government must carefully consider the national security implications of building a bridge connecting Kinmen County and Xiamen, China, the Public Construction Commission (PCC) said yesterday. PCC Commissioner Derek Chen (陳金德), who is also a minister without portfolio, made the remarks in a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, after Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsu Fu-kuei (徐富癸) asked about China’s proposal of new infrastructure projects to further connect Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties with Xiamen. China unveiled the bridge plan, along with nine other policies for Taiwan, on Sunday, the last day of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) visit
RSS