During a visit to the Legislature today, Executive Yuan Deputy Secretary-General James Hsiao urged Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng and party caucuses to support several priority bills as well as the 2015 central government budget.
In addition, two pieces of legislation that cleared the Executive Yuan last Thursday are also awaiting legislative approval—a draft provisional act on the autonomy of indigenous peoples and an amendment to the Housing Act, Hsiao said. The indigenous autonomy bill was drafted in line with Article 10, Paragraph 2 of the Additional Articles of the Constitution and Article 4 of the Indigenous Peoples Basic Law, both of which require the state to implement indigenous peoples' autonomy in accordance with the will of indigenous peoples.
The Housing Act was amended to implement rent subsidy policies, Hsiao continued. The revision will encourage more landlords to rent to families that cannot afford to purchase their own homes so that everyone has a place to live. The amendment is necessary to help the disadvantaged groups and to develop a healthy market for rental housing.
Another amendment pending the Legislature is the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures, which was last revised more than a decade ago on January 25, 1999, Hsiao said. Over that time, the financial conditions of the central and local governments have changed with local levels experiencing more administrative obstacles due to lower fiscal revenue, greater expenditure limitations and heavier debt. Hence, the system for allocating tax revenues must be revised as soon as possible.
The Executive Yuan will continue to communicate with the Legislature on major policies and bills and hopes to win support across party lines so that the policies can be promoted successfully, Hsiao said at the end of his visit.