Premier Jiang Yi-huah reiterated the government's determination to step up human rights protection at the Executive Yuan's human rights protection taskforce meeting today, where the rights of taxpayers, prisoners, drug addicts, dispatched laborers and foreign workers were discussed.
"Taiwan adopted the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on December 10, 2009. The implementation of these two covenants over the past four years by various government agencies under the supervision of the taskforce's private sector members has already achieved results," said Premier Jiang. Human rights protection is high on the government's policy agenda, and the administration will keep promoting relevant measures, he assured.
After the Ministry of Finance's (MOF) report on the progress of taxpayer rights promotion over the past five years and the presentation of three relevant issues for discussion by private sector taskforce members, Jiang requested the MOF pay attention to this oft-ignored issue while performing duties and reforming procedures and to make special efforts in this regard when making or implementing regulations or publicizing information.
Jiang also instructed the MOF to review the restriction preventing those who owe back taxes from leaving the country as well as the promotion of a green taxation mechanism. He urged the ministry to amend relevant rules and regulations in an innovative manner and consider making public the government's performance in tax rights promotion.
Regarding private sector members' proposal that Taiwan sign and enter into the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and that a report be submitted on the progress of related law enactments and amendments, the premier instructed the Ministry of the Interior to present a report on this subject at the next meeting.
Taskforce members from civil society also proposed that the Executive Yuan continue to promote methadone maintenance therapy and other effective measures to heal drug addiction in the nation's correctional institutions. Premier Jiang replied that an evaluation of expanding methadone maintenance treatment in prisons was submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) at the Executive Yuan's drug control meeting on December 24, but after discussions, a consensus was reached to suspend the plan. The MOHW will instead launch other therapies.
Premier Jiang stated that this issue is very technical and affirmed that he and other officials all respect experts' and agencies' evaluations of previous practices. All participants in the December 24 meeting, public and private sector representatives alike, supported suspending methadone maintenance therapy in prisons, he pointed out. Since members of the human rights taskforce have different opinions, however, Jiang instructed the MOHW to offer relevant information for the taskforce's reference and requested the ministry to invite the Agency of Corrections under the Ministry of Justice, members of the taskforce and attendees of the drug control meeting to exchange opinions.
Finally, the taskforce members from the private sector suggested swiftly improving the human rights of dispatched laborers and foreign domestic workers. Minister of the Council of Labor Affairs Pan Shih-wei responded that the council expects to complete the legal procedures of the Act on Protection of Dispatched Workers this coming January and send it to the Executive Yuan for review. The council will also promote the protection for the domestic workers' rights over time through administrative measures, Pan assured.
Before the legal procedures of the human rights protection for the dispatched laborers and domestic workers are complete, agencies can safeguard these laborers' rights through administrative ordinances and other measures, the premier said.