The legislature yesterday passed amendments to the Temporary Statute Regarding the Welfare Pension of Senior Farmers (
The revised scheme will go into effect on Jan. 1 next year and is estimated to benefit 710,000 farmers and fishermen. The government is projected to spend an additional NT$8.6 billion annually to extend the scheme. The annual cost currently is about NT$23 billion and benefits 670,000 farmers and fishermen nationwide.
The controversial "cross-strait peace advancement bill" (海峽兩岸和平促進法) proposed by the People First Party and the "anti-invasion peace bill" (反侵略和平法) proposed by the Taiwan Solidarity Union were set aside for further cross-party negotiations as well as a commission of inquiry to investigate insider trading by "vulture investment groups."
Legal revisions to the farmer pension law stipulate that the two special municipalities of Taipei and Kaohsiung cities should pay 50 percent of the expenses of senior farmers residing in the two cities, while the central government pays the other 50 percent.
The central government will also shoulder the full payment for senior farmers living in other countries and cities.
Lawmakers also attached three resolutions to the amendments. First, the additional expenses will be covered by supplementary bud-get requests. Second, a perpetual retirement pension scheme for farmers should be established as soon as possible. Finally, a national annuity program should be instituted to allow all senior citizens to receive a monthly pension of NT$7,500.
The farmer-pension law was enacted in 1995 to give senior farmers and fishermen a monthly pension of NT$3,000. The law was later revised to increase the amount to NT$4,000.
The annuity program is designed to benefit those not covered by a private pension provision and was part of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) campaign platform in the 2000 presidential election.
‘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
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
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
RSS