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KMT Changes Position on Subsidy for Elderly Farmers
Shih Hsiu-Chuan,
Taipei Times
September 24, 2011
Taiwan
A proposal presented by the Democratic Progressive Party
(DPP) caucus to raise the monthly subsidy for elderly farmers by
NT$1,000 (US$32.79) moved forward procedurally yesterday after the
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus backed off from its previous
opposition.
The move came after the DPP ran a television advertisement that accused
the KMT of obstructing the amendment to the Temporary Statute Regarding
the Welfare Pension of Senior Farmers (老年農民福利津貼暫行條例).
Without objection, the legislative plenary session yesterday referred
the DPP caucus-proposed amendment, which proposes raising the subsidy
from NT$6,000 to NT$7,000 a month and would require an estimated extra
budget of NT$8.7 billion, directly to a second reading, meaning it does
not have to undergo a preliminary review at the committee stage.
The referral allows the DPP caucus to ask for a vote during the second
reading of the amendment if lawmakers across party lines fail to reach
a consensus on the bill after a one-month negotiation period ends.
“We did not want it to become an issue in the [presidential and
legislative] elections in January,” KMT legislative caucus whip Chao
Li-yun (趙麗雲) said when asked why her caucus changed its position on the
proposal.
Chao said the KMT caucus would coordinate party members after the
Executive Yuan has put forward the government’s position within a
month, as promised by Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Wu-hsiung
(陳武雄).
Some KMT lawmakers have already initiated various amendments, with
Legislator Chung Shao-ho (鍾紹和) suggesting raising the subsidy to
NT$10,000.
Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) did not comment when questioned by DPP
Legislator Tsai Huang-liang (蔡煌瑯) on whether the government supported a
rise in the subsidy during a question-and-answer session yesterday.
The DPP caucus did not oppose the NT$11 billion budget earmarked for a
3 percent pay raise for civil servants that started on July 1 “and we
hope the government will also support the increase in the subsidy for
elderly farmers,” Tsai said.
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