Chen Ching-tsai, formerly the Executive Yuan's administrative deputy secretary-general, has left office after being confirmed by the Legislature as a member of the Control Yuan; his vacancy will be filled by Sung Yu-hsieh, administrative deputy minister of the National Development Council (NDC). Kao Shien-quey, the NDC's chief secretary, will take up the post Sung left behind, the Executive Yuan announced today.
Sung has a Ph.D. in business administration from National Chengchi University. After becoming a civil servant, he worked all the way up from the grassroots at the now-defunct Research, Development and Evaluation Commission (RDEC), serving as a specialist, section chief, director, chief secretary, deputy minister and finally minister there. In January this year the RDEC and Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) were amalgamated into a new agency, the NDC, and Sung was appointed its administrative deputy minister.
Sung is familiar with the respective responsibilities and operations of various ministries. During his tenure at the RDEC, he had to coordinate among different ministries and assist in promoting various major policies, including projects such as e-government and government restructuring. When Premier Jiang Yi-huah was RDEC minister, Sung was his right-hand man.
The Executive Yuan stated that Sung's thinking is comprehensive and meticulous, and as its administrative deputy secretary-general he will be able to put his strengths into full play and continue to assist Premier Jiang to oversee and coordinate the various departments.
Kao Shien-quey holds a master's degree in economics from National Taiwan University. She has previously served as specialist, senior executive officer, division chief, deputy director-general and chief secretary of the defunct CEPD. Since the creation of the NDC, she has served as the agency's chief secretary.
Kao possesses comprehensive civil service experience, is proactive in her work and excels at trade and economic planning and foreign trade affairs as well as medium- and long-term plans for national development, officials said. She has been responsible for promoting medium- and long-term development plans for a long time, and as the NDC's administrative deputy minister she will be of immense help to the minister by playing a role similar to an economic development think tank, the Executive Yuan stated.