Inadequate coordination was to blame for the lackluster showing of the nation's top economic officials, pundits said yesterday.
Nine months into office, the ministries of economics, finance and the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) have yet to draw up a clear-cut course for Taiwan's future economic development, Lee Tung-hau (
And with both President Chen Shui-bian (
"The campaign, while innovative and praiseworthy, remains a pipe dream thus far," Lee said, noting that the government has yet to unveil the nuts and bolts of its ambitious program.
He attributed the lack of progress to a poor collaboration between the CEPD and the two ministries.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Hsu Tain-tsair (
"A distinguished economist, Chen is apparently wanting in coordinating skills," Hsu, also an economics expert, told the Taipei Times.
The two-term legislator pointed out that the CEPD is in charge of planning, coordinating and integrating economic policies proposed by different government agencies. But, research-oriented, Chen tends to ignore the latter part of his duties, Hsu said.
Indeed, the chief economic official was widely expected to be replaced in the newly finished Cabinet reshuffle but was later asked to stay on, owing to what Hsu and others believed was the absence of appropriate successors.
The dilemma also applied to Finance Minister Yen Ching-chang (
But Hsu suspects that none of the officials are properly delegated to carry out their jobs. "The lack of autonomy apparently contributed to their inconsistent policy stands," Hsu said.
He cited Economics Minister Lin Hsin-yi (
The DPP lawmaker Hsu agreed, noting that the three economic officials have been dutifully defending the Cabinet's policy making -- at the expense of creativity.
Hsu also said it is unrealistic to expect anyone to work miracles in light of the unfavorable economic climate at home and abroad. "It is the system, not individual officials, that needs change."
What is more urgent, the DPP lawmaker contended, is a comprehensive set of financial reforms that allows the government to level out the playing field and better monitor local commercial activities.
He shrugged off media reports that the party's New Tide faction (新潮流) was seeking to oust Yen because one of its stalwarts Hung Chi-chang (洪其昌) was eyeing the post.
"A firm believer of laissez-faire, the faction has frowned on any government attempt to boost the bourse," Hsu said. "But it is not Hung's style to advance his goals through such tactics."
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