Lawmakers yesterday passed amendments to the National Sports Act (國民體育法), which include articles aimed at eliminating nepotism and barring political influence within sports associations amid calls to reform the sports sector.
The amendments include an article stipulating that sports association presidents cannot have terms that exceed four years and must not serve more than two consecutive terms.
The article states that at least one-fifth of sports association members should be active or former athletes of the national sports team, while neither independent directors nor directors representing organizations should make up more than half of membership.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
In a bid to root out nepotism, something associations have been accused of, the amendments ban presidents and secretaries-general from hiring spouses or relatives within the third consanguinity, and the rule is to apply even if they were hired before the top officials took up their role.
The Ministry of Education, which oversees sports associations, is to inspect and evaluate them annually, the amendments state, adding that associations must comply with inspections and provide any requested information.
The amendments include rules on arbitration to deal with disputes between associations and athletes.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
According to the amended act, athletes protesting a decision made by an association can file for arbitration with any institute certified by the ministry within a given period and the association cannot deny them that right.
To help ensure financial transparency, the amendments mandate that sports associations truthfully disclose annual budgets, balances and subsidies they receive from government agencies.
The amended act also requires associations to introduce internal audit systems.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Kuo-shu (黃國書), who introduced several draft amendments and was instrumental to the legislative effort, said that the passage of the amendments was a gift to athletes who competed for Taiwan at the Taipei Summer Universiade, which concluded on Wednesday; all the athletes who have been treated unfairly due to red tape; and all rising sports stars.
“Over the years, athletes have had to put up with the frustration of submitting to pressure from insulated and conservative associations that have the right to decide who represents the nation at international events,” Huang said.
“I hope that from now on, athletes and associations will no longer have to compromise for the nation,” he said.
Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said. Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed. In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
NO CHANGE: The TRA makes clear that the US does not consider the status of Taiwan to have been determined by WWII-era documents, a former AIT deputy director said The American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) comments that World War-II era documents do not determine Taiwan’s political status accurately conveyed the US’ stance, the US Department of State said. An AIT spokesperson on Saturday said that a Chinese official mischaracterized World War II-era documents as stating that Taiwan was ceded to the China. The remarks from the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan drew criticism from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, whose director said the comments put Taiwan in danger. The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that a US State Department spokesperson confirmed the AIT’s position. They added that the US would continue to
IMPORTANT BACKER: China seeks to expel US influence from the Indo-Pacific region and supplant Washington as the global leader, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said China is preparing for war to seize Taiwan, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said in Washington on Friday, warning that Taiwan’s fall would trigger a regional “domino effect” endangering US security. In a speech titled “Maintaining the Peaceful and Stable Status Quo Across the Taiwan Strait is in Line with the Shared Interests of Taiwan and the United States,” Chiu said Taiwan’s strategic importance is “closely tied” to US interests. Geopolitically, Taiwan sits in a “core position” in the first island chain — an arc stretching from Japan, through Taiwan and the Philippines, to Borneo, which is shared by
RSS