New Power Party (NPP) Legislator Claire Wang (王婉諭) yesterday urged the government to focus more on the needs of mothers and working women, calling for more effective measures to combat surging housing and consumer prices.
Ahead of Mother’s Day tomorrow, the NPP held a news conference at its legislative caucus office to highlight the worsening plight of homemakers and ordinary citizens.
“We do not need any superficial ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ messages this weekend,” as rising costs are posing new problems for families and children, Wang said.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Wang presented the four most pressing issues: rising prices of groceries and household items, soaring housing costs, increasing cases of child abuse and child traffic injuries, and problems caused by school shutdowns due to COVID-19.
“Families are feeling the pinch from surging housing and grocery prices,” she said, with the consumer price index rising 3.76 percent in March.
Central and local government officials appear to ignore the impact of inflationary pressures, she said.
“It has resulted in more difficulties for mothers, who have to spend more for fewer goods to prepare three meals a day for their families. However, officials seem to have little concern for the issue, and keep citing impressive economic growth figures to cover up the difficult living conditions that mothers face,” Wang said.
As for housing costs, “Taiwan has registered record house-price-to-income ratios in the past two years,” she said, adding that it is becoming much harder to own a home.
“If the government does not implement more effective housing polices to curb property speculation and get to the core of the issue, then their Happy Mother’s Day messages would just read as sarcastic,” she said. “We sincerely hope officials can show real concern, and help build a more family-oriented and children-friendly environment for all the mothers in Taiwan.”
NPP member Wang Ching-hong (王景弘) said that top officials and city mayors should deal with COVID-19 infections and class shutdowns by thinking more of the additional demands on parents.
About 1,700 schools are closed, but parents have not received any help, Wang said.
Many local health departments are not answering telephone calls, while families have to adapt to the new changes in prevention and restriction measures, afraid that their children might get infected, Wang Ching-hong said.
NPP member Peng Sheng-shao (彭盛韶) said there has been an increase in child abuse cases at daycare centers over the past few years.
“Taiwan already has the world’s lowest birthrate, yet the government is doing little to prevent violence and abuse of children,” Peng said. “These appalling incidents and unfriendly environments are making women less willing to have children.”
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