A Belgian man who tested positive for COVID-19 in Taiwan last week is likely to have contracted the disease in Taipei in late June, National Taiwan University (NTU) College of Public Health vice dean Tony Chen (陳秀熙) said yesterday. The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Saturday reported that the man, who is in his 20s, came to Taiwan for work on May 3 and tested positive on Wednesday last week as he was about to depart. The man in March reported loss of taste and smell, the center said, adding that he worked in Changhua County, but visited Taipei several times, and traveled to Yilan County and Taichung this month. Although the center has not listed the case as imported or locally acquired, health experts have said that the man might have contracted the disease in Taiwan. There are four possible scenarios for how the man was infected: He contracted it in Belgium, he had close contact with an infected traveler on his way to Taiwan, he was exposed to an infected person in a local community, or he contracted the disease twice — in Belgium and in Taiwan, Chen said. Among the four scenarios, contracting the disease in Belgium or being infected twice are the least likely, he said. The viral load should have significantly reduced after so many weeks if he was infected in Belgium, while genome sequencing of the virus would need to be conducted to determine if he contracted it twice, Chen said. Based on the cycle threshold value of a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test that the man had, he might have been exposed to COVID-19 from June 20 to 26, which includes time that he was in Taipei, Chen said. “It is impossible that Taiwan has no domestic cases,” he said. “We are only testing people who have symptoms, so
GENDER INEQUALITY: The Childcare Policy Alliance said that while female participation in the labor force is increasing, male participation in parenting has not
The government should amend parental leave regulations to encourage fathers to take time off in the four weeks following a child’s birth, advocacy groups told a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Representatives from groups including the Childcare Policy Alliance, the Birth Empowerment Alliance of Taiwan and the Awakening Foundation urged the government to allow fathers to receive 90 percent of their usual pay for time they take off work in the first month following a child’s birth. Since 2002, the Act of Gender Equality in Employment (性別工作平等法) has allowed workers to take parental leave up until the child reaches the age of three, the Childcare Policy Alliance said, adding that in 2009, provisions were added to give employees who take unpaid parental leave an allowance equal to 60 percent of their usual pay for the first six months. However, citing the 2020 Gender at a Glance report published by the Executive Yuan’s Department of Gender Equality, the Childcare Policy Alliance said that women still accounted for most of those who take parental leave. In 2018, about 88,000 people were approved for their first period of parental leave allowance. Of those, more than 72,000, or about 82.3 percent, were women, the report showed. While female participation in the labor force is increasing every year, male participation in parenting has not, Childcare Policy Alliance spokesman Wang Chao-ching (王兆慶) said. This trend discourages women from having children, which in turn affects the birthrate, Wang said. However, with policy intervention — such as policies for shorter, but better-paid parental leave — more men would be encouraged to apply for time off, he said. The Childcare Policy Alliance said that the number of newborns in the nation this year could fall below 160,000. A-tse (阿澤), a father who spoke at the news conference, said he used annual leave and unpaid personal leave to spend
Singapore Airlines yesterday said that it would resume three weekly services to Taiwan next month after air traffic between the two counties was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tickets for flights to Singapore and other destinations in the airline’s network are available now, it said. Starting on Sept. 2, flights between Taiwan and Singapore would operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays using Boeing 787-10s, the airline said. On Wednesdays and Fridays, flights would depart from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 5:45pm and arrive in Singapore at 10:15pm, while those departing from Singapore would leave at 11:45am and arrive in Taoyuan at 4:40pm, it said. On Saturdays, flights from Taiwan would depart at 2:20pm and land in Singapore at 6:55pm, while flights from Singapore would leave at 8:20am and arrive in Taiwan at 1:30pm, it said. The airline said it is offering greater flexibility to ensure that people can plan their travel during a challenging time, with those making new bookings after March 5 to get unlimited complimentary rebookings for flights on or before Aug. 31 and a one-time complimentary rebooking for flights after Aug. 31. People are encouraged to visit the COVID-19 Information Center on the airline’s Web site to learn more about precautionary measures against the virus, as well as transit and travel advisories, it said. The airline said that it also has codeshare flights with budget airline Scoot. People with Singapore Airlines tickets for Scoot-operated flights can transit in Singapore for travel to any of Singapore Airlines’ destinations, it said. However, entry into Singapore is not allowed, it said. Cabin baggage is normally limited to 3kg on Scoot flights and must be securely stowed under the front seat, Singapore Airlines said. However, with Singapore Airlines tickets, economy-class passengers are entitled to up to 35kg of checked baggage on flights operated by Scoot and business-class passengers up to 40kg, it
DIPLOMATIC MOVES: Beijing is reportedly pressing the state after reports of forming links with Taiwan, while the ministry is also planning to reopen its office in Guam soon
A representative office is set to open in Somaliland at the end of this month, at the earliest, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday amid reports that Beijing is sending a diplomatic delegation to the east African country. The ministry on July 1 announced that Taiwan and Somaliland would establish representative offices, following a report by the Somaliland Chronicle Web site. It said at the time that the two nations did not plan to establish formal ties. Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi has instructed close confidants to explore the possibility of “mutual recognition between Taiwan and Somaliland,” the Somaliland Chronicle reported on Monday, citing sources speaking on condition of anonymity. He had also ordered a close examination of the US’ Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative (TAIPEI) Act of 2019, which encourages the US government to increase economic, security and diplomatic engagements with nations that have enhanced relations with Taiwan, the Web site said. Bihi has refused to meet Chinese Ambassador to Somalia Qin Jian (覃儉), who has been in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, since Sunday, on his third visit this year, it reported. A delegation of high-ranking diplomatic officials from Beijing was due to arrive in Somaliland, possibly as early as today, the Web site reported. Asked about Somaliland’s plans, as reported by the Web site, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) told a news briefing in Taipei that the ministry would not comment on opinions of anonymous sources. Taiwan and Somaliland maintain effective communications, and their alliance is built on their shared values of protecting freedom, democracy and human rights, the spokeswoman said. Taiwan’s representative office in Hargeisa is set to be formally established at the end of this month or early next month, although the plan could change due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she said. While Somaliland is not recognized by most countries, Ou
The family of rookie police officer Yang Ting-hao (楊庭豪), who died after being severely injured in a traffic accident on Sunday, has donated his organs and corneas, family members told a news conference yesterday at Far Eastern Memorial Hospital in New Taipei City’s Banciao District (板橋). A 17-year-old unlicensed scooter driver surnamed Chang (張) collided with a police scooter ridden by Yang shortly after midnight on Sunday as Yang and two colleagues were headed to a fight that had been reported in Shulin District (樹林). Yang, 21, had only been a police officer for 10 months. He suffered severe head injuries in the crash and was diagnosed with subarachnoid hemorrhage, Intensive Care Unit director Hung Fang-ming (宏芳明) told reporters. Paramedics had to restart his heart before transporting him to the hospital, and while Yang’s vital signs improved after treatment, he scored 3 on the Glasgow Coma Scale, the lowest possible score, indicating he had suffered severe brain injuries, Hung said. After Yang spent 24 hours on life support, his family was briefed on his prognosis, and agreed to sign the organ donation forms, and doctors pronounced him brain dead. His family said that they believe Yang would have wanted his organs to benefit others. Ten families would benefit from the donations, they added. The hospital said Yang’s heart, lungs, liver, kidney, pancreas and corneas were donated. In related news, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Sandy Yeh (葉毓蘭) said she is considering proposing an amendment to Article 185-3 of the Criminal Code that would include unlicensed driving in the list of offenses and stipulate that parents of offending minors should be punished. The parents of minors or those aged 18 who are found to have driven without a license and caused the death of others should be subject to collateral punishment, as they have failed in their duties as
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) suspended membership privileges for legislators Sufin Siluko (廖國棟) and Chen Chao-ming (陳超明) after they were detained by the Taipei District Court yesterday, KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) announced, while Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson Yen Juo-fang (顏若芳) said the party had suspended Legislator Su Chen-ching’s (蘇震清) membership privileges after he was detained in the same corruption probe. All three lawmakers have been questioned by prosecutors a bribery case linked to former Pacific Distribution Investment Co chairman Lee Heng-lun’s (李恆隆) 2013 legal battle with Far Eastern Group for control of Pacific Sogo Department Store. The KMT Disciplinary Committee is launching investigations into Sufin and Chen, and the result of those probes would determine if the pair lose their KMT membership, Chiang said. He also called on the judiciary to be just and fair when reviewing the legal cases against them. Under the KMT’s party charter, members have their privileges suspended if a court finds them guilty of corruption in the first trial, and their membership is revoked if they are found guilty again in the second trial, Chiang said. “We have already fast-tracked the punitive measures,” he said. The decision to take punitive measures if Sufin and Chen were detained had been made on Saturday, he said. The KMT has conducted internal reviews after several incidents of its members being convicted of corruption and the Disciplinary Committee has been asked to look into measures to deter such acts, he said. All party members should endeavor to refrain from such acts, Chiang said. In related news, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday said that Cabinet members and other officials should not treat a government job as a fast-track path to riches. “To be voted into power is not to work for our own benefit, but to benefit Taiwan as a whole,” Tsai said.
Bed and breakfast (B&B) operators in Penghu County are to be disqualified from receiving government subsidies if they deliberately inflate room prices for the second phase of “disease prevention tours,” Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. Lin told reporters after attending a news conference about an outdoor children’s theater production — a partnership between Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) and the Paper Windmill Theatre (紙風車劇團) — that is to take place near Taichung High Speed Rail Station on Saturday to celebrate Father’s Day. The government’s tourism stimulus package has helped travelers experience high-quality domestic tours, and B&B operators should not kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, Lin said. “The Tourism Bureau told Penghu County Government officials that operators found to engage in this kind of behavior a second time should be disqualified from applying for tourism subsidies,” Lin said. “Local government officials must thoroughly enforce the Consumer Protection Act (消費者保護法) and hold offenders accountable.” Subsidies for the second phase of “disease prevention tours” are to be available until the end of October, Lin said. As more people are heading to attractions in Yilan, Hualien, Taitung and the outlying islands, the bureau would step up campaigns to promote travel destinations in northern and central Taiwan to help divert the crowds, he said. Cities and counties seeing a large influx of visitors would be asked to suspend tourism marketing events during the summer, Lin said, adding that the bureau would also be postponing marketing subsidies for those areas. To ease traffic congestion in the Hsuehshan Tunnel during the Mid-Autumn Festival in October, the National Freeway Bureau would implement measures to redirect the traffic, Lin said. The Ministry of Transportation and Communications would reinforce public transport connecting the east and west coasts, Lin said. For example, the Yilan Railway Station would be turned into a
The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) should distribute nearly NT$30 million (US$1.02 million) in overtime pay it owes its workers, cancel a new work schedule set to be implemented next year and start negotiations with the Taiwan Railway Union, the union demanded yesterday morning as it launched a protest in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei. TRA workers have yet to receive overtime pay they are due for May and June, due to a budget shortfall, the union said. “Employees are supposed to receive their salaries for the previous month on the 25th of each month. However, when checking the receipts of our salaries in June and last month, train dispatchers and conductors did not see the overtime pay that was supposed to be in their accounts,” the union said. TRA Transportation Department employees have received an official letter saying that it would implement a new work schedule next year, which the union said would reduce their pay. The agency organized the new schedule without adequate communication with its employees, and it plans to suspend overtime pay and force workers to accept its new schedule, the union said. Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said that the ministry would facilitate negotiations between the agency and the union, and expedite the distribution of overtime pay for TRA workers. “The agency has in recent years recruited 4,000 new workers. We want to make sure that the workload of frontline employees can be eased, and they are paid accordingly. At the beginning of this year, we secured the legal right to distribute employees’ benefits, which include overtime pay,” Lin said. However, the TRA said that it has submitted an analysis of the additional funding needed for overtime pay to the ministry. The Taiwan Railway Labor Union, which is also affiliated
LEGAL IMPLICATIONS: Publishers and bookstores in the territory are wary of running afoul of Beijing’s vaguely worded security legislation, so authors are looking to Taiwan
China’s new security legislation for Hong Kong has cast a threatening shadow over the territory’s dynamic book industry, with anxious publishers combing through back catalogues for potentially “subversive” material, and looking to Taiwan as a safe haven for printing fresh titles. The territory has long been a refuge for intellectuals, free from the authoritarian grip of the Chinese mainland’s communist leaders, but that status is at risk of crumbling as Beijing’s new legislation sends fresh jitters through a publishing industry already wary of overstepping China’s red lines. “Major publishing and printing houses now dare not touch a project like ours,” said Woody, asking to use just a first name, who is one of a group of journalists putting together a book of interviews with witnesses of Hong Kong’s explosive pro-democracy protests last year. The team was forced to review the entire contents of the title — Our Last Evolution — after Beijing served notice of the legislation in June, and three writers subsequently requested changes. “For the rest, it’s not that they don’t have any fear, they just don’t know what specifically they should worry about,” Woody said. Beijing has made no secret of its dislike of the books that roll off printing presses in Hong Kong, often painting an unflattering and at times salacious picture of many Chinese officials. In 2015, five men linked to a Hong Kong bookstore and publishing house offering gossip-filled tomes vanished — including one from his holiday home in Thailand — before resurfacing in Chinese custody making “confessions.” One, Lam Wing-kei (林榮基), skipped bail and went public with a story of kidnapping and lengthy interrogations. He has since fled to Taiwan. The climate of fear has only intensified under the new legislation, which uses vague language to target secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Public and school libraries have already started
NEW ERA: Taiwan, which has controlled its virus outbreak, now faces the challenge of safely resuming economic exchanges with other nations, Chang Shan-chwen said
People should not focus entirely on having zero new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Taiwan, but neglect overall control over the disease situation, Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) specialist advisory panel convener Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said yesterday. Chang made the remark at a forum in Taipei discussing the steps Taiwan should take in the post-pandemic era, organized by the Chinese-language magazine Global Views Monthly. Chang, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩), and Stanford University’s Center for Policy, Outcomes and Prevention director C. Jason Wang (王智弘) each made a presentation, followed by a panel discussion with Chang, Wang and Buddhist Tzu Chi University president Ingrid Y. Liu (劉怡均). “As people say: ‘No pain, no gain.’ We have suffered pain and have gained,” Chou said, adding that Taiwan had learned much from the SARS outbreak in 2003 and improved its disease prevention measures. That included amending regulations to set up a more efficient and centralized disease control command system, enhancing infection controls at healthcare facilities and setting up a mask rationing policy, he said. Taiwan acted fast to effectively block the virus through these mechanisms, as well as the use of smart technology, he added. “However, the global COVID-19 situation is still severe, so the CECC is being very careful in easing border controls,” Chou said. Until effective vaccines and drugs are developed, wearing a mask, washing hands frequently and practicing the “new disease prevention lifestyle” remain very important, he said, adding that the government also needs to consider its long-term investment strategy in the public health and healthcare sectors. Chang said the CECC and advisory specialists acted rapidly and frequently discussed response measures from the early days of the pandemic. They were prepared for possible local outbreaks, but the nation kept the disease situation under control much better than they had expected, he said. He is thankful to
All Nippon Airways (ANA) yesterday resumed two weekly flights between Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) and Tokyo International Airport (Haneda airport) after service had been suspended for almost three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Japanese airline said it has restarted the direct flight service, which had been suspended since May 9, because many Japanese businesspeople needed to travel to Taiwan and Japanese expatriates in Taiwan needed flights home. The flights would be offered on Mondays and Fridays using Boeing 787-8 aircraft, it said. About 50 passengers boarded the morning flight that departed from Haneda airport and underwent quarantine procedures required by Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center upon their arrival at Songshan airport, the airline said. Airline staff cleaned and sterilized the aircraft before about 100 passengers boarded for its return flight, it said. Dubai-based Emirates Airline on June 17 resumed service between Taipei and Dubai, and people who need to travel through Dubai to Bahrain and 14 other cities in its network can book their tickets on its Web site, provided they meet quarantine requirements. Singapore-based budget airline Scoot Tigerair on Wednesday last week announced that it would resume flights between Taipei and Seoul on Aug. 16, and that flights would be added on the route to Singapore. The weekly service would leave Taipei on Friday and Sunday afternoons, with return flights leaving Seoul on Saturday and Monday mornings, the carrier said. In other news, ridership on Taipei’s MRT metropolitan railway system in the first half of this year declined by 62.69 million from a year earlier due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said yesterday. Ridership totaled 322.63 million over the period, compared with 385.32 million in the same period last year, it said. On average, about 2 million people rode the MRT daily last year, and more than 60 million people rode the system
‘FIRST STEP’ : The augmented reality guide makes the exhibits more lifelike and allows visitors to interact with them, bringing fossils ‘back to life,’ the museum said
The National Taiwan Museum yesterday introduced an augmented reality (AR) museum guide for its Natural History Branch in Taipei’s Zhongzheng District (中正). The AR Museum Guide was jointly developed by the museum, the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Industrial Development Bureau, Arplanet Digital Technology Co and Mr Fossil, the museum said. With the guide, they hope to promote the development of the nation’s AR industry, it said. It is the first time a museum in Taiwan has used an AR indoor positioning system to bring ancient organisms and fossils “back to life,” the museum said. The AR technology has not only made the exhibits at the museum more lifelike, but also allows visitors to interact with them, providing more possibilities for popular science education, it said. In the past, museum displays tended to be static, but due to the influence of electronic devices, museums worldwide have seen visitor numbers gradually decrease, museum director Hung Shih-yu (洪世佑) said. To attract more visitors, the museum has over the past few years been committed to offering interactive shows, he said. The launch of its AR guide is just the beginning, he said, adding that he believes in the future, and as technology becomes more sophisticated, museum visitors will have even more lively interactive experiences. Describing the AR guide as trendsetting, Lin Chun-hsiu (林俊秀), a bureau representative, said that he hopes it encourages people to visit the museum more regularly. Arplanet Digital Technology Co founder and chief executive officer Jennifer Pai (白璧珍) said that her team’s vision is that AR technology will become accessible to everyone, and become a part of people’s everyday lives. The AR guide is the “first step” in AR experience at museums, she said, adding that she hopes it will “no longer be a dream” for everyone to experience AR. The AR guide not only uses technology to add value to the
Nine student artists on Friday were acclaimed as the winners of this year’s Chimei Arts Awards, including three who are repeat winners. The Chimei Arts Awards were founded in 1989 to promote art, and support talented music and art students, said Kuo Ling-ling (郭玲玲), director of the Tainan-based Chimei Museum and chief executive of the Chi Mei Culture Foundation. The foundation has since given 335 award winners more than NT$120 million (US$4.06 million at the current exchange rate) in grants, which have eased the financial burden on many talented students, and raised their odds of being seen on the international stage, Kuo said. This year’s winners are Hu Hsien-wen (胡銜文), Huang Chun-chieh (黃俊傑) and Lin Chien-ting (林建廷) in the fine art category; and Lu Yun (魯昀), Yang Ya-chun (楊雅淳), Hsu Ming-yu (許名妤), Lin En-chun (林恩俊), Cheng Yu-ting (鄭育婷) and Huang Ya-chung (黃亞中) in the music category. The three fine art category winners were all second-time winners, and all were highly praised by the judges, Kuo said. Hu was praised for solid sketching skills, and using classic techniques to depict modern lives and emotions; Huang Chun-chieh for using delicate shades to capture human faces and their inner thoughts; and the figure sculpted by Lin Chien-ting (林建廷) was “grandiose” and “showed fine anatomical structures,” she said. The award ceremony at the museum featured a performance by pianist Yen Chun-chieh (嚴俊傑) and violinist Wei Ching-yi (魏靖儀), who have won several prizes at home and abroad, including Chimei Arts Awards in previous years, Kuo said. The pair are also to perform at a festival the museum has organized to commemorate the 250th birthday of Beethoven, which begins with a lecture on Aug. 28 and concerts on Sept. 5, Sept. 19, Oct. 17 and Oct. 31, she said.
CORRUPTION PROBES: The Taipei Prosecutors’ Office said it would appeal the bail decision. The lawmaker’s office chief, Lin Chia-chi, is being detained incommunicado
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday said that it would appeal the Taipei District Court’s decision late Sunday night to release independent Legislator Chao Cheng-yu (趙正宇) on NT$1 million bail (US$33,863) after he was listed as a suspect in a bribery case. As of press time last night, four other current and former legislators implicated in another corruption probe were in bail hearing sessions or waiting for their turn. They are Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Chen Chao-ming (陳超明) and Sufin Siluko (廖國棟), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Su Chen-ching (蘇震清) and former New Power Party legislator Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明). The court also approved the prosecutors’ office request to have the chief secretary of Chao’s office, Lin Chia-chi (林家騏), detained incommunicado. While Chao, who represents Taoyuan’s sixth electoral district, was granted bail, he has been barred from leaving the country. He allegedly pressured the Construction and Planning Agency to approve a rezoning project for two funeral service companies that wanted to develop a plot of land in Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園). Prosecutors said they were planning to indict Chao and Lin on corruption charges that would carry a minimum sentences of five years in prison apiece. The second corruption probe is focused on alleged bribes given in exchange for the suspects lobbying and pressuring government officials as a group of businesspeople led by former Pacific Distribution Investment Co chairman Lee Heng-lung (李恆隆) tried to wrest ownership of Pacific Sogo Department Store from tycoon Douglas Hsu (徐旭東) and his Far Eastern Group. Prosecutors allege that Lee and his staff worked with Knowledge International Consultancy general manager and political lobbyist Kuo Ke-ming (郭克銘), a former aide of DPP Legislator Su Chen-ching (蘇震清), who acted as an intermediary in communications with the politicians and disbursing bribes to their top aides or office chief secretaries in both cases. Six politicians —
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is drafting anti-corruption rules in the wake of DPP Legislator Su Chen-ching’s (蘇震清) alleged involvement in a bribery case. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on Saturday filed a motion with the Taipei District Court to detain Su — along with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Chen Chao-ming (陳超明) and Sufin Siluko (廖國棟), New Power Party chairman Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明), and independent Legislator Chao Cheng-yu (趙正宇) — over their alleged involvement in a department store bribery case. Chao was released late on Sunday night on NT$1 million (US$33,863) bail, while the others were waiting for the court’s decision as of press time last night. The DPP’s anti-corruption rules are to be divided into two parts. The first would contain principles regarding “staff recruitment, procurement and the revolving door policy” for DPP political workers and managers at state-run corporations, party sources said. The second part would involve ethical requirements for DPP political workers, including avoiding attending meals or events or engaging in financial transactions inconsistent with the images of independence, neutrality, integrity and honesty, the sources said. DPP workers would also be prohibited from abusing the power of their positions for illicit gains, including receiving inappropriate gifts or other benefits from stakeholders in their businesses, they said. The draft rules, which have been discussed multiple times by party committees, are expected to be finalized by the DPP caucus on Tuesday next week, before being sent to the DPP Central Standing Committee for final approval, they added. In related news, the Control Yuan’s latest report on property declarations by public servants showed that the value of properties declared by Su grew more than 11 times from NT$6.8 million five years ago to more than NT$75 million last year. The 159th report on property declaration by public servants published on April 17 showed that Su, who represents
Students of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Institute of Revolutionary Practice yesterday presented proposals for labor policy, including raising the monthly minimum wage to NT$32,000 (US$1,084). Their report proposes regular adjustments to workers’ salaries every year, starting next year. They suggested a “three two plan” — raising the minimum monthly wage to NT$32,000 and the minimum hourly wage to NT$200 in two stages over three years. In 2018, nearly half of employees under the age of 30 earned monthly salaries of less than NT$30,000, the students said, citing a Ministry of Labor report. The “three two plan” also recommends gradual adjustments to working hours starting next year. Technological advancements should make it possible to reduce employees’ working hours, the students said. Their plan proposes that weekly working hours be lowered to 32 hours by 2032. If an employee works more than 32 hours a week, employers would have to give them overtime pay or compensatory leave, the plan says. The students said they believe that commuting times should be included in working hours, with an upper limit to be set. Citing an actuarial report on the labor insurance program conducted last year by the ministry, the students also called on the government to explain how it plans to handle the nearly NT$10 trillion of “hidden” debt in the program, which they said is expected to go bankrupt by 2026. They urged the government to educate the public from a young age on their labor rights. During past labor strikes, many people said the strikes were acceptable as long as they did not affect their lives, which showed a lack of labor rights education, they said. KMT Culture and Communications Committee chairwoman Alicia Wang (王育敏), who, along with institute director Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強), held a news conference in Taipei with the students to present their report, said that labor issues are a
TAIPEI AND TOKYO: Several people at the Taipei Guest House noted Lee’s contributions to Taiwan’s democratic transition, while Japanese lawmakers visited the TECRO
Politicians and dignitaries, including former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Brent Christensen, yesterday paid their respects to former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), who died on Thursday at 97, at a memorial at the Taipei Guest House. Chen left a note on a memorial wall that read: “The spirit of Taiwan’s father of democracy lives on,” before telling reporters that despite their different political affiliations, he and Lee shared a desire to build a Taiwanese national identity, deepen and consolidate Taiwan’s democracy, safeguard national sovereignty and improve the well-being of Taiwanese. Although there had been competition and contradictions in their relationship, there was also much agreement and consensus, he said. He also voiced his appreciation for and admiration of Lee’s lifetime of devotion and his many contributions to Taiwan. Christensen, who was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), left a message offering condolences to the people of Taiwan on behalf of the AIT. As a defender of democracy, Lee played a key role in Taiwan’s transition to a democratic government, Christensen’s message read, adding that his courage and vision would be long remembered by people around the world. He praised Lee as a great hero in Taiwan’s transition to democracy, saying that the reforms Lee promoted have been successful in transforming Taiwan into a beacon of freedom and democracy. The US would continue to strengthen its relationship with Taiwan, which is based on shared democratic values to honor Lee’s political legacy, Christensen added. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) left a message on the memorial wall that simply read: “Taiwan keeps going.” Lee was a man of courage and wisdom, whose greatest contribution was allowing Taiwan to be democratized at a low cost, Ko told reporters. Others who attended the memorial yesterday included Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) and former
Kaohsiung City Councilor Wu Yi-jheng (吳益政) of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) is closing in on Kaohsiung City Councilor Jane Lee (李眉蓁) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), although they both trail far behind former vice premier Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁), the Democratic Progressive Party’s candidate for the Kaohsiung mayoral by-election, an opinion poll found. Wu’s campaign office yesterday held a news conference to announce the survey results, as polls cannot be released 10 days before an election, which means as of 12am tomorrow for the Kaohsiung vote on Saturday next week. The All Dimensions Public Research poll found that 46.2 percent of respondents support Chen, 13.9 percent back Lee and 7.7 percent favor Wu, while 32.2 percent said they had no comment, All Dimensions chief executive Huang Chih-cheng (黃志呈) told reporters. However, when the poll asked those who supported Lee or had no comment an additional question — “as news reports imply that it would be impossible for Jane Lee to win because she plagiarized her master’s degree thesis, would you be willing to vote for Wu Yi-jheng to counteract the DPP?” — 46.5 percent said they would back Chen, 12.8 percent backed Lee and 11.5 percent favored Wu, while 29.2 percent had no comment, he said. Separately yesterday, Wu filed a Control Yuan petition, asking former Kaohsiung mayor and newly installed Control Yuan President Chen Chu (陳菊) to ask the Executive Yuan “to give back” the NT$81.8 billion (US$2.77 billion at the current exchange rate) in tax revenues the central government owes following the merger of Kaohsiung county and city into a special municipality in 2010 through 2015. Meanwhile, Lee said the final poll of the city’s residents would be on the results of the Aug. 15 vote. Additional reporting by Wang Rong-hsiang and Hsieh Chun-lin
The National Communications Commission plans to amend three key media laws to address a series of challenges facing the cable television industry, newly installed Chairman Chen Yaw-shyang (陳耀祥) said yesterday. Chen, who had been acting chairman, along with Vice Chairman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) and three commissioners — Hsiao Chi-hung (蕭祈宏), Lin Lihyun (林麗雲) and Wang Wei-ching (王維菁) — took office yesterday following their confirmations by the Legislative Yuan last month. “The commission is reviewing the Cable Radio and Television Act (有線廣播電視法), the Radio and Television Act (廣播電視法) and the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法), and will propose amendments to address problems highlighted by recent disputes in the industry. Specifically, we want to establish a well-rounded mechanism to govern how cable operators arrange channel lineups. We would also stipulate supporting measures to be implemented when the nation enforces a tiered-pricing policy for cable services,” Chen said in a speech at the inauguration of the new commission members. He also recounted the commission’s accomplishments since he became acting chairman in May last year: In February it completed the auction for the spectrum to be used for 5G service, generating a total of NT$142.19 billion (US$4.81 million) in bids; Taiwan entered the 5G era with the launch of services by telecoms on June 30; the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法) was implemented on July 1; the commission has revised more than 80 supporting regulations in accordance with the act, and all cable services in the nation were digitized, as of June 30, Chen said. The commission on July 15 presented its draft for an “Internet audiovisual service management act” (網際網路視聽服務管理法) to regulate the over-the-top service, and it is now soliciting opinions from the public about the draft, Chen said. “We would gather opinions and revise the draft act if necessary before submitting it to the
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