Chang, Lin commit to smooth Cabinet transition

2016/04/13

Premier Chang San-cheng met with Premier-designate Lin Chuan April 8 in Taipei City, sharing commitment to cooperating on administrative affairs, budget and personnel in the lead up to the May 20 handover of power.

“We have confidence in the incoming Cabinet’s ability to tackle the challenges Taiwan is facing,” Chang said before the hourlong meeting, expressing his respect and good wishes to his successor. “I expect Lin and his team to deliver outstanding performance in the years ahead.”

In terms of administrative affairs, Lin aims to initiate in-depth exchanges so the new government of President-elect Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party can take over seamlessly.

According to Cabinet Spokesman Sun Lih-chyun, efforts in this regard have already begun, with the Executive Yuan delivering briefings on each ministry’s affairs to the government transition task force.

At the same time, the ministries have prepared detailed materials on their operations, difficulties and overlaps between current policies and those proposed by Tsai. Further information on ongoing projects will be delivered to the new team, Sun added.

Since the operations of government must continue uninterrupted, Sun said Lin respects each ministry’s budget plan and execution, and hopes there can be room for the new government in terms of current-year budget.

As for multiyear budgets, Sun said the current government will only plan and implement projects with urgent needs, such as a six-year program to evaluate seismic resistance of buildings, improve the integrity of old structures and mitigate soil liquefaction in the wake of the magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck southern Taiwan Feb. 6.

On the subject of personnel appointments, the two sides agreed to continue communicating about candidates for directors of government-funded organizations and state-owned businesses like China Steel Corp. and Chunghwa Telecom. Sun said the government will support future Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Tzou-yien’s attendance at the World Health Assembly in May, ensuring Taiwan’s continued participation in the global event.

“During the transition, there is one common goal shared by Chang and his successor Lin,” Sun said. “That is to join hands to solve the nation’s problems and keep government running smoothly.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=243771&ctNode=2194&mp=9)