The controversy of certain accounts and funds used by pubic servants has become a discussion of systems. Apparently, these monies, or jintie 津貼, are like an inflated petty cash used to supplement salary. I presume this is a carry-over from the Chinese empire.
Why not just raise salaries, as has been the case in Singapore, to avoid this confusing system of “extras”? I am aware there are complexities involved, buy fuzzy on the economics.
For one, rapid change could be harmful to the entire income tax system and may lead to inflation. Are there any economists here? How does Taiwan rely on high real estate valuations to moderate the economy? Can housing prices go down, so more ordinary people could afford real estate and not get caught up in a consumer buying frenzy, or do landowners intend to play fat cat again through the next economic cycle???
For two, well, the American way may just not be the way to go for Taiwan in compensating government appointees and officials. I’d like to know more about the German, Japanese or Korean systems before forming an opinion.
It is being considered that a general amnesty be issued as tens of thousands of sitting and retired officials may be implicated if censors move ahead on this.
MOJ chief Weng Yueh-Sheng was first to step up to the plate without an investigation, admitting to NT$844,000 in the first eight months of this year. NT$210,000 he did not spend and it was rolled back into the account. Much of the money, Weng reports went into his own pocket to invest in (Taiwan’s?) climbing stock market.