A civil servant pension reform plan proposed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers would destabilize the current system and put government workers at greater financial risk, Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said yesterday,
Chen made the statement before attending the opening ceremony of the Global Cooperation and Training Framework’s International Workshop on Combating Cross-Border Fraud, in response to media queries for comment on the amendment to the Act Governing Civil Servants’ Retirement, Discharge and Pensions (公務人員退休資遣撫卹法) proposed by the KMT caucus.
The proposed amendment would freeze this year’s decrease in the income replacement ratio for retired teachers and government workers.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The ratio has been reduced for five consecutive years.
Chen said he respects lawmakers’ rights to propose amendments but added: “I want to remind them that it is not easy to build a good pension fund system. The pension fund reform we proposed was accepted by all, and we have adjusted retirement fund payments for retirees based on the changes of the consumer price index each year.”
“We hope that the amendments proposed by KMT lawmakers will not destabilize the current pension fund system, which would put retired civil servants, teachers and military personnel at greater financial risk,” he said. “That would be the last thing anyone wants to see.”
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) pushed for a reform of the pension fund system for civil servants, teachers and military personnel when she took office in 2016, Chen said, adding that the goal is a sustainable system in which retirees can continue receiving retirement funds while they are alive.
“We want to thank all the government workers and teachers who support the pension fund reform, which helps preserve the system,” he said.
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
Taipei is to implement widespread road closures around Taipei 101 on Friday to make way for large crowds during the Double Ten National Day celebration, the Taipei Department of Transportation said. A four-minute fireworks display is to be launched from the skyscraper, along with a performance by 500 drones flying in formation above the nearby Nanshan A21 site, starting at 10pm. Vehicle restrictions would occur in phases, they said. From 5pm to 9pm, inner lanes of Songshou Road between Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 are to be closed, with only the outer lanes remaining open. Between 9pm and 9:40pm, the section is
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday hosted a reception to celebrate Double Ten National Day. Conservative Canadian lawmaker Marc Dalton called Taiwan a “beacon of courage and resilience in the face of rising authoritarianism,” according to a post on the Taiwan in Vancouver Facebook page. Also in attendance were fellow conservative caucus members Tako Van Popta and Chak Au, who said that Taiwan plays an “indispensable role” in ensuring global peace, prosperity and stability due to its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region, it said. Canadian lawmaker Michael Cooper also recorded a message wishing Taiwan a
RSS