Because of the nation’s low vaccination coverage, the government has been ordering large amounts of vaccines from international manufacturers.
Some people have questioned the prices that the government is paying for vaccines, while others have questioned the profitability of domestically developed and produced vaccines.
These objections and doubts are not completely unfounded, but regardless of whether the information about prices and profitability comes from insiders or from malicious opponents to the ruling government, it is provoking many public reactions. The reason likely relates to a lack of confidence in the government’s integrity.
Whether it is the Corruption Perceptions Index or the Government Defense Integrity Index, prestigious international government integrity review organizations have repeatedly given Taiwan highly positive ratings for political integrity in the past few years, based on the results of empirical surveys and expert opinions.
The question is why Taiwanese still lack a high degree of confidence in the integrity of their government. There is a deep-rooted reason, and it might have to do with local governments.
Most of the analysis of anti-corruption initiatives is based on a national framework, and the performance indicators are focused on the central government’s achievements and lack any explicit focus on local governments. People generally do not realize that, rather than referring to bureaucrats at the central government level, public perception of the government is based on the integrity of their locally elected representatives and the performance of their local governments.
Moreover, nepotism is a more common occurrence in local governments, and transparency into hiring and procurement is much lower than at the central government level. This makes corruption much more feasible.
In addition to the unprecedented international support and attention that President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) foreign affairs and defense policies have attracted during her second term in office, she will hopefully also be able to accomplish a few achievements when it comes to the eradication of local corruption, as this is a matter of immense importance.
At the same time, the Agency Against Corruption and the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau are particularly important when it comes to making a substantive effort to fight corruption, because in a democracy, the freedom of the media and a vibrant democratic process provide strong support for anti-corruption efforts and increase the effectiveness of anti-corruption agencies. If this could be coupled with efficient electronic government systems to investigate and unearth wrongdoing, it should be possible to enhance the perception of government integrity in Taiwan.
Tsao Yao-chun is a researcher with the Chinese Association of Public Affairs Management and a Government Defense Integrity Index external expert.
Translated by Perry Svensson
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