Lawmaker Wang Jung-Chang of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday raised a motion to oppose boosting the monthly pension for elderly farmers by NT$1,000 before the national annuity pension law is enacted. 

The motion was immediately endorsed by Tsai Ying-wen, a heavyweight lawmaker-at-large of the DPP.] 

The motion came as a response to the fact that lawmakers of the opposition pan-blue camp have decided to revise the temporary statute governing the pension payment for elderly farmers to raise the pension by NT$1,000 per month. DPP caucus in the Legislative Yuan also made a similar decision. 

But Wang called for DPP lawmakers not to follow the footsteps of the opposition Kuomintang and People First Party, saying that in order to step up the passage of the national annuity system, secure the fairness of social welfare program, and weigh the government's financial capability, the legislative caucus of the ruling DPP should have a second thought on the pension raise for aged farmers. 

The government's annual budget deficit runs close to NT$300 billion, and its accumulative outstanding debts have hit a high of NT$3.9 trillion. Under such circumstances, hiking monthly pension for old farmers will pose heavier financial burden on the government, and run counter to the government's determination to improve the national finance, Wang said. 

Meanwhile, the national annuity promotion alliance lashed out at the proposal to raise monthly pension for old farmers, saying that political parties usually randomly issue "political" checks before elections and then complain about such pension adding financial burden to the government. 

The alliance urged local people to make phone calls to both DPP and KMT caucuses in the Legislative Yuan to express opposition to the random raise of pension for farmers, reasoning that the pension raise would undermine the implementation of the national annuity program.