In response to today's demonstration in Taipei, Executive Yuan Spokesperson Cheng Li-wun said that the Executive Yuan highly values the issues the demonstrators raised and is already implementing policies to resolve them.
Taiwan faced several significant structural challenges last year in both the domestic and international arenas, Cheng said, chiefly global economic turmoil and domestic recession. Hence, the Executive Yuan established a task force last February to formulate policy responses to international economic trends. This group then completed the Economic Power-Up Plan, which was announced by Premier Sean Chen in September and which relevant ministries have been implementing ever since.
With respect to the nation's pension systems, Cheng said that reform is necessary because Taiwan's decreasing fertility rate has accelerated the aging of its population, imperiling the systems' fiscal soundness. In 2008, the Executive Yuan instructed the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) to begin outlining policies related to the safety net for the elderly. In November 2009, the CEPD established a pension reform task force, and last October, Premier Sean Chen made Vice Premier Jiang Yi-huah convener of an interministerial task force which will present a position report on reform this month.
As for the domestic media market, the premier said in last Thursday's Cabinet meeting that he supports the National Communications Commission's position on media mergers and acquisitions and has asked it to draft relevant legislation.
On energy security, the Executive Yuan has always insisted on adherence to strict nuclear safety standards while promoting renewable energy development.
"These issues have a wide-ranging and profound effect on all citizens, and the questions involved are of a highly technical and complex nature," the spokesperson said. "The Executive Yuan is not only taking responsibility and addressing all these issues proactively with policies and reforms; it's doing so in a steady, nuanced, and professional manner. As the premier says, you shouldn't create new problems while solving old ones."
"The Executive Yuan is very concerned about the same issues the demonstrators are," Cheng emphasized. "Last year, we released and implemented several measures about them. We also welcome the opposition parties to produce concrete and feasible proposals for policies and laws and help implement reforms."
"Excessively emotional and simplistic language only creates unnecessary panic, antagonism and even hatred," Cheng said. "Bringing society to a halt by increasing internal friction would be counterproductive. We hope Taiwan's political debates can be rational and pragmatic and respect will be given to expert opinions."