Members of Aboriginal Policy Watch yesterday condemned the government for failing to take effective action to combat the high rate of unemployment among the nation's Aborigines.
“Figures released by the Council of Indigenous Peoples on April 20 showed that the unemployment rate for Aborigines reached 7.93 percent,” said Mayaw Kumu, a co-founder of the group composed of Aboriginal activists and politicians.
This compares with a national average of 5.81 percent in March.
“However, the government is doing nothing to help,” Mayaw said.
Mayaw said that the proposed amendment to the Indigenous Peoples Employment Rights Protection Act (原住民族工作權保障法) — which was submitted to the legislature for review two years ago during the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration to ensure better work opportunities for Aborigines — continued to be stalled in the legislature.
“The Cabinet even made a decision to lower the minimum required percentage of Aboriginal workers at free trade port districts from 5 percent to 1 percent,” Mayaw said.
DPP Legislator Chen Ying (陳瑩) of the Puyuma tribe criticized the government for refusing to grant tax exemptions to Aboriginal labor cooperatives.
These cooperatives were once eligible for exemption from the 5 percent business tax as well as subsidies from the Council of Labor Affairs (CLA).
The exemption ended in December 2007 as stipulated in the sunset clause of the Indigenous Peoples Employment Rights Protection Act. The CLA subsidies ended last year.
Chen, along with other Aboriginal lawmakers across party lines, asked Ministry of Finance officials during a legislative meeting earlier this month about reinstating the exemptions given the economic crisis, but finance officials rejected the idea, saying the national treasury could lose up to NT$70 million (US$2 million) in tax revenue.
“The government gives billions of NT dollar in tax breaks to corporations to stimulate the economy. But it can't grant tax breaks to Aborigines because it is afraid of losing NT$70 million in tax revenue?” Chen asked.
Huang Chin-peng (黃金鵬), chairman of an Aboriginal labor cooperative in Taipei, agreed.
“There used to be more than 280 Aboriginal cooperatives across the country, but only about 50 were left as of September,” Huang said. “Among the 50, only 20 to 30 are actually still operating.”
Huang said that as an Aboriginal labor cooperative employs about 30 people, “the closure of 200 cooperatives means that 6,000 people — or 6,000 families — have lost a source of income.”
In related news, the group also voiced their support for the Pingpu — or plains — Aboriginal campaign to regain their official Aboriginal status.
The Pingpu campaign suffered a setback recently, with the government refusing to allow them to register as Aborigines, saying they had voluntarily given up their status in the 1950s and 1960s when they failed to register with the government at the time.
“You [the government] have explained well the official procedure for declaring Aboriginal status 40 or 50 years ago. However, you have failed to answer the key question: Are they Aborigines?” said Wang Ming-hui (汪明輝), chairman of the Taiwan Aboriginal Society and a co-founder of Aboriginal Policy Watch.
“It's ridiculous to deny someone his or her ethnic identity because of some administrative process,” Wang said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS