Ma commits to youth involvement in policymaking

2015/08/25

President Ma Ying-jeou said Aug. 23 that the youth plays an integral part in government policymaking, as the enthusiasm of the younger generation is vital to Taiwan’s future development.

“Youth participation in public affairs was a key plank of my first presidential campaign,” Ma said. “The government will leave no stone unturned in helping the country’s young people turn good ideas into reality.”

The president made the remarks during the Youth Policy Forum National Conference in Taipei City. Organized by the Ministry of Education, the one-day event was attended by around 100 representatives and featured a competition on policy research.

According to Ma, a total of 428 teams involving 1,940 participants have taken part in the annual conference since 2008, with 85 percent of their proposals influencing government policymaking.

“One example is the Second Chance project from the 2012 competition, which aimed to help the homeless re-enter society with support from social enterprises,” he said, adding that the suggestion has been adopted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Regarding a proposal on building smart bicycle routes around Taiwan, Ma said the government is working to bring this undertaking to fruition by year-end.

Of the 10 winning entries at this year’s competition, the president said they span a wide range of public affairs, including economic development, traditional Chinese character promotion, long-term care, transportation and working holiday programs.

A total of 13 countries have concluded working holiday programs with Taiwan over the past seven years, and they are valuable platforms for expanding people-to-people exchanges, Ma said.

“I have directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take these related suggestions into consideration for future policy adjustment.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=234120&ctNode=413)