Premier Jiang Yi-huah today highlighted the importance of improving communication between the executive and legislative branches, which will help lawmakers better understand the bills proposed by the Executive Yuan and speed up government reforms.
While visiting Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng, the new premier said in the future he will station the vice premier or Executive Yuan secretary-general at the Legislative Yuan when bills reach the final stages of negotiation. They will be responsible for frontline communications to see that proposals are pushed through.
As a show of good will toward opposition parties, Jiang will also pay visits to opposition leaders at the earliest possible time to help shift the tone from disagreement to dialogue. Effective delivery of government policies requires cooperation among all sectors, the premier said, including the ruling and opposition parties as well as the executive and legislative branches.
Premier Jiang expressed appreciation to the legislative speaker, pointing out the Legislative Yuan under Wang's leadership has passed many bills critical to the nation's infrastructure and long-term development.
With the new legislative session opening next week, the premier has asked Secretary-general Chen Wei-zen to finalize preparations with Kuomingtang lawmakers and list the 50 top priority bills to be pushed. High on the agenda is the pension system, and reforming it will require a large number of amendments that involve the rights of laborers, military employees, public servants and teachers. As this reform will guard the retirement security of Taiwan's 23 million people, the premier has instructed ministries and commissions to begin the second round of discussions and send the draft bills to the Legislative Yuan in April.
Other major issues to be addressed at the upcoming legislative session include nuclear safety and prevention of media monopolies. The premier said he would talk earnestly with opposition leaders on all topics because sincere communication is a vital step in the political process. He hopes the process will be able to unfold in the coming months without the various impediments that have emerged in the past, and asked Legislative Speaker Wang to help facilitate such discourse.
Wang mentioned several policy bills as well, including a special act for a free trade demonstration zone, a system for regulating gasoline and electricity prices, and the performance bonuses at state-run enterprises. Premier Jiang responded that he would ask ministries to finalize the bills in the shortest time possible and to explain the considerations inherent in these proposals to legislators and other sectors of society.
The premier recalled that during his post as minister of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, he would visit Wang at the start of every legislative session. Wang has many years of experience at the Legislature and can provide administrative agencies with valuable insights. Jiang said he would ask the Executive Yuan's vice premier and ministers to visit the Legislature more frequently so that the two branches can build a more productive working relationship.
Premier Jiang said a major theme in his inauguration speech is the transformation of Taiwan into a democratic society of prosperity and propriety. In such a society, discussions are based on fact rather than ideology, and debates are carried out rationally.