Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) yesterday assured lawmakers that there would not be any consumer disputes resulting from tour cancelations when the ban on group travel to China is lifted in March next year.
Wang made the remarks at the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which was scheduled to review the budget plans of the agencies under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC).
However, lawmakers expressed concern over conflicting statements about the policy from the MOTC and Mainland Affairs Council (MAC).
Photo: Lo Pei-de, Taipei Times
MOTC officials said two-way group travel across the Taiwan Strait would return to normal in March and travel agencies could begin organizing tours, while MAC officials reiterated the number of Taiwanese group travelers allowed to visit China would still be capped at 2,000 per day, with the same cap applying to Chinese tourists to Taiwan.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) asked Wang exactly how many Taiwanese group travelers would be allowed to visit China per day when the ban is lifted in March, and whether travel agencies would be asked to cancel tours if the number of Taiwanese tourists exceeds the daily cap set by government.
Hung also pressed Wang for the adjustments on the cap that the ministry would make when more than 2,000 group travelers are to visit China per day.
“We had estimated that there would not be too many travelers at the beginning. The cap is adjustable, and I would not let disputes resulting from tour cancellations happen,” Wang said.
“I do not care what the MAC would say. The conclusion from cross-departmental meetings for now is that all group tours to China would be allowed in March so long as travel agencies have enough tourists to form tour groups,” Wang said.
Hung also suggested that a minister without portfolio be assigned to coordinate between the MOTC and Ministry of Labor about bringing in migrant workers to address the labor shortage problem facing the hotel and accommodation industry.
“The MOTC estimated that the hotel and accommodation operators are short of 3,000 workers, but the labor ministry is mainly concerned about the employment of women, senior workers and economically disadvantaged individuals. While most countries are busy attracting international tourists around the globe, officials in Taiwan are minding their own businesses and are busy passing the buck,” Hung said.
Wang said he had maintained communication with Minister of Labor Hsu Ming-chuen (許銘春).
“The country has not yet opened the service sector to migrant workers. The labor ministry is concerned that other service industry operators might request to follow suit if it makes an exception to hotels and accommodation service operators,” Wang said.
Tourism Administration Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) said that the labor ministry is to convene a meeting to review the administration’s proposal about recruiting migrant workers to address the labor shortage problem in the hotel and accommodation industry, adding that it has provided more analyses this time as requested by the labor ministry.
‘NON-RED’: Taiwan and Ireland should work together to foster a values-driven, democratic economic system, leveraging their complementary industries, Lai said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday expressed hopes for closer ties between Taiwan and Ireland, and that both countries could collaborate to create a values-driven, democracy-centered economic system. He made the remarks while meeting with an Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation visiting Taiwan. The delegation, led by John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Irish house of representatives, known as the Dail, includes Irish lawmakers Malcolm Byrne, Barry Ward, Ken O’Flynn and Teresa Costello. McGuinness, who chairs the Ireland-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, is a friend of Taiwan, and under his leadership, the association’s influence has grown over the past few years, Lai said. Ireland is
A saleswoman, surnamed Chen (陳), earlier this month was handed an 18-month prison term for embezzling more than 2,000 pairs of shoes while working at a department store in Tainan. The Tainan District Court convicted Chen of embezzlement in a ruling on July 7, sentencing her to prison for illegally profiting NT$7.32 million (US$248,929) at the expense of her employer. Chen was also given the opportunity to reach a financial settlement, but she declined. Chen was responsible for the sales counter of Nike shoes at Tainan’s Shinkong Mitsukoshi Zhongshan branch, where she had been employed since October 2019. She had previously worked
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
TRANSPORT DISRUPTION: More than 100 ferry services were suspended due to rough seas and strong winds, and eight domestic flights were canceled, the ministry said Tropical Storm Wipha intensified slightly yesterday as it passed closest to Taiwan, dumping more than 200mm of rain in Hualien and Taitung counties, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 11am, Wipha was about 210km southwest of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and was moving west-northwest at 27km per hour (kph). The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 101kph and gusts reaching 126kph, with a 150km radius of strong winds, CWA data showed. Wipha’s outer rainbands began sweeping across Taiwan early yesterday, delivering steady rainfall in the east and scattered showers in other regions, forecasters said. More heavy rain was expected, especially in the eastern