Premier leads Taiwan’s Cabinet in mass resignation

2016/05/16

Premier Chang San-cheng led the Republic of China (Taiwan) Cabinet in a mass resignation May 12, paving the way for a smooth handover of power following inauguration May 20 of the new administration.

Chang praised the Cabinet members for preparing comprehensive briefings on the operations of their agencies, making it easier for Premier-designate Lin Chuan and his new team to hit the ground running. “The handover is exemplary and serves as a model for all future government transitions in Taiwan.”

The premier said his Cabinet, which was sworn in Feb. 1 following the presidential and legislative elections, never adopted a caretaker mindset, instead focusing on delivering good and cost-effective governance for the benefit of the people.

“Our service may have been short but it was substantive, laying the foundation of long-term national development,” Chang said, citing the Cabinet’s approval May 11 of Apple Pay and other international mobile payment services—an initiative expected to create opportunities for the development of tokenization services in Taiwan.

Another important Cabinet accomplishment was passage May 5 of draft digital convergence acts, viewed as significantly boosting the competitiveness of local operators spanning cable TV, digital media, Internet and telecommunications.

According to Chang, the Cabinet’s can-do approach to tackling emergencies was illustrated by its response to the magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck southern Taiwan Feb. 6, and the roll out of a national program evaluating seismic resistance of buildings, improving the integrity of old structures and mitigating soil liquefaction.

“Over the past three months, all members of the Cabinet demonstrated remarkable capabilities and synergies in handling such issues as fighting crime, resolving fishing disputes and strengthening international participation,” he said. “I am proud of their achievements during this period and deeply grateful for their selfless dedication to serving the nation.”

Chang said he expects the new government of President-elect Tsai Ing-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party to take national development to the next level, building on the government’s solid track record of achievements over the past eight years. The significance of this legacy will be deeply appreciated and better understood by the people of Taiwan in the years to come, he added.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=244686&ctNode=2194&mp=9)