To make Penghu a more attractive workplace for civil servants, the government will raise the regional subsidy for civil servants there by between NT$1,200 and NT$4,120 (US$41 and US$140) per month starting next January 1, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said today.
The premier made the announcement while speaking to Penghu County government employees on the proposed amendments to the Civil Service Performance Evaluation Act and an assessment system for group performances.
County Magistrate Wang Chien-fa and local legislators have always been concerned for the public servants who have endeavored to promote Penghu's development, said the premier. During the 2013 central government budget review, the Legislature agreed that regional subsidies for civil servants in the Penghu area should be re-examined and adjusted. The Executive Yuan thus tasked the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration (DGPA) to study how best to retain talent while ensuring fair wages among all offshore islands. After balancing Penghu County's requests against the central government's fiscal obligations, the DGPA made the decision to adjust the subsidies by region.
As examples, civil servants and teachers working in the capital city of Magong will have their regional subsidy raised from NT$4,640 to NT$5,840, while those serving on the smaller Yuanbei and Dacang islets will see their subsidy increased from NT$5,670 to NT$9,790.
DGPA Minister Huang Fu-yuan explained that the adjustment was based on the Regulations for Civil Service Additional Pay, which factors four issues into the regional subsidies: geographical environment, transportation condition, degree of hardship and economic conditions of the region. The DGPA established specific, measurable evaluation indices based on objective and scientific methods and invited professional experts to aid in the review process. To ensure fairness, the DGPA also plans to review subsidy and allowance regulations for all regions, including remote mountainous areas and other offshore islands.
Separately today, the premier visited the Penghu Marine Biology Center to see the latest development in fisheries research. Because Penghu sits at the confluence of coastal and oceanic waters, it is a perfect location for important fisheries and a cradle of endemic marine organisms. He hopes having the center in Penghu will benefit marine life research and aquaculture development there.
"Taiwan's unique geographical conditions put us among the top for fisheries development," Jiang said. "Whenever I visit places like this, I am always confident in the future of our aquaculture industry." The premier encouraged local fishing businesses to use technology and research to increase their production output and open up new markets. He also urged the center's staff to continue building on their solid research for the benefit of fishermen and citizens across Taiwan.