The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday announced that it would suspend the collection of inspection fees for telecommunication radio frequency devices purchased from overseas through online shopping, after the new policy triggered a backlash from users and lawmakers across party lines.
The nation’s telecom service regulator last week said that people who purchase two or fewer Class 2 telecommunications radio frequency devices from abroad through online shopping would be asked to start paying inspection fees, with each case costing NT$750.
The policy would not affect people who carry such devices when returning to Taiwan from overseas.
Photo: Yang Mien-chieh, Taipei Times
Devices that are subject to inspection are those that would transmit low-power radio waves, including mobile phones, tablet computers, Bluetooth headsets, Wi-Fi access points, and wireless keyboards and mouses.
The commission defended the policy last week, saying that the fee is charged to cover the rising administrative costs that the agency has incurred as an increasing number of people purchase radio frequency devices through online shopping.
The Charges and Fees Act (規費法) also stipulates that fees must be charged based on costs, it said.
However, lawmakers across party lines have urged the agency to reconsider the policy due to responses from their constituents.
“We would review the pricing scheme of the inspection fee as well as who should pay the fee after considering public reactions to the new policy,” the commission said. “As such, those who apply to have the radio frequency devices inspected would be told that they have unpaid fees, pending the decision from the agency.”
Users would be allowed to import the devices to the country even if they have yet to pay the inspection fee, the commission said.
Some users have also proposed to change the policy on the National Development Council’s Public Policy Online Participation Network Platform, with the number of people seconding to the proposal reaching the threshold for an official government response, the commission said.
“We would humbly review input from all relevant parties and immediately start proceedings to consider the most reasonable and appropriate ways of charging users after taking into relevant administrative costs,” it said.
The legislature had earlier slashed 50 percent of the commission’s budget and froze 10 percent of the remaining amount.
Eight Chinese naval vessels and 24 military aircraft were detected crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait between 6am yesterday and 6am today, the Ministry of National Defense said this morning. The aircraft entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern air defense identification zones, the ministry said. The armed forces responded with mission aircraft, naval vessels and shore-based missile systems to closely monitor the situation, it added. Eight naval vessels, one official ship and 36 aircraft sorties were spotted in total, the ministry said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) today said that if South Korea does not reply appropriately to its request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, it would take corresponding measures to alter how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The ministry said that it changed the nationality for South Koreans on Taiwan’s Alien Resident Certificates from “Korea” to “South Korea” on March 1, in a gesture of goodwill and based on the
The New Taipei Metro's Sanyin Line and the eastern extension of the Taipei Metro's Tamsui-Xinyi Line (Red Line) are scheduled to begin operations in June, the National Development Council said today. The Red Line, which terminates at Xiangshan Station, would be connected by the 1.4km extension to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, while the Sanyin Line would link New Taipei City's Tucheng and Yingge stations via Sanxia District (三峽). The council gave the updates at a council meeting reviewing progress on public construction projects for this year. Taiwan's annual public infrastructure budget would remain at NT$800 billion (US$25.08 billion), with NT$97.3
Taiwanese officials were shown the first of 66 F-16V fighter jets purchased by Taiwan from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday, adding the aircraft has completed an initial flight test and is expected to be delivered later this year. A delegation led by Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) visited Lockheed Martin’s F-16 C/D Block 70 (also known as F-16V) assembly line in South Carolina on March 16 to view the aircraft. The jet will undergo a final acceptance flight in the US before being delivered to Taiwan, the
RSS