Premier Jiang Yi-huah today attended the inauguration ceremony for the Cabinet-level National Development Council (NDC)—the latest agency to be launched under the government restructuring process—saying this merging of several organizations is expected to generate a strong synergy.
Describing the occasion as another milestone in ROC government, the premier encouraged the new council to work toward its goals of foresighted planning, excellence in governance, social justice, economic revitalization and sustainable development.
The NDC was created from a merger of the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD), the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission (RDEC), and parts of the Public Construction Commission (PCC). Prior to the reorganization, the CEPD was an important driver of the country's economic and development plans, the RDEC was charged with improving the government's administrative efficiency, and the PCC oversaw major national construction projects. With responsibilities for planning, reviewing and evaluating national-level programs, these three organizations were heavily relied on by the Cabinet for the formulation of the country's overall policies.
The idea of restructuring the executive branch was first proposed in 1986 to streamline the growing number of departments and agencies and make them more efficient, flexible and effective, Jiang said. When President Ma Ying-jeou took office in 2008, he directed the RDEC to put the plan into action. Despite many obstacles, the reorganization has been taking shape over the past five years, with the number of agencies being reduced from 37 to 29.
The NDC was established for the purpose of helping the Executive Yuan plan comprehensive national policies, Jiang said. Hence the new agency must be able to see clearer and farther into the nation's future, and make long-term plans without interference or influence from short-term opinions. The NDC is expected to play an important role in crafting population policies, cultivating talent, conserving land and balancing regional development. In addition to spurring and maintaining economic growth, it will also promote social justice, especially in ensuring a more equitable distribution of wealth.
Beyond simply analyzing how the nation performs in international competitiveness rankings, the NDC should take the initiative to find new ways of driving Taiwan's administrative efficiency ahead of other nations. It should take up a greater role and function much like a "mini-Cabinet," Jiang said.