Thursday, July 21, 2011

KMT, DPP spar over payouts to elderly farmers

By Shih Hsiu-chuan, Mo Yan-chih and Chris Wang  /  Staff Reporters
 
Thu, Jul 21, 2011 - Page 1
 
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) yesterday engaged in a war of words over the issue of raising the subsidies for farmers above the age of 65.

The DPP Central Standing Committee yesterday passed a resolution listing an increase in the monthly subsidy for elderly farmers from NT$6,000 to NT$7,000 as a party priority in the next legislative session.

DPP spokesman Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said farmers’ costs had increased by 12.61 percent from 2007 to last year, while the average annual household income on farms dropped from NT$937,053 in 2007 to NT$872,668 last year.

Citing statistics from the -Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS), Chen said the consumer price index (CPI) had increased by 3.62 percent from 2007 to last year.

While the government has approved a 3 percent pay raise for civil servants and an increase in the monthly welfare allowance for veterans by NT$600, elderly farmers should not be ignored, Chen said.

DPP Legislator Tsai Huang--liang (蔡煌瑯) said DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-ying (邱議瑩) had submitted a similar proposal, but the KMT blocked it in the Procedure Committee in the previous legislative session.

Coming to the defense of the KMT government, KMT -spokesperson Lai Su-ju (賴素如) -yesterday said that DPP Chairperson and presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), when she served as vice premier, had threatened to launch a campaign to refuse to pay taxes if the KMT-dominated legislature at the time approved an increase from NT$5,000 to NT$6,000 in monthly subsidies for farmers, adding that the DPP’s current proposal to increase the subsidies contradicted Tsai’s previous stance.

“We cannot help but wonder whether the DPP changed its stance on the issue because elections are approaching. [It seems] the DPP is using the subsidy issue as an election tool,” she said.

Lai said the KMT had spared no efforts in raising subsidies for elderly farmers. When asked whether the party would consider increasing subsidies further, Lai said the KMT would evaluate the demands of farmers before making its final decision.

At a separate setting yesterday, an official who wished to remain anonymous said the Executive Yuan earlier this year did not back a proposal by some KMT lawmakers to increase monthly subsidies for elderly farmers because the plan was contingent on the nation’s fiscal situation.

“This does not mean that the government wavered from its consistent determination to take care of farmers,” the official said. “The government’s fiscal situation should be taken into consideration before a decision is made.”

The official made the remarks in response to a story by the Chinese-language China Times yesterday saying a government plan had been in place since March to grant an additional NT$1,000 in subsidies to elderly farmers.

“One of the main concerns is that the proposal might have a crowding-out effect, but we will give serious consideration to the suggestion,” the official said.

The DGBAS estimated that the proposal would require an annual budget increase of NT$8 billion.

Asked to comment, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said the proposal had been discussed at a regular meeting of top government and KMT officials.

He did not say if the meeting was in March when the government came close to a decision to give a 3 percent pay raise covering 1.25 million government employees who opted for monthly pensions, including civil servants, school teachers, military personnel, starting this month.

KMT lawmakers have offered amendments to the Temporary Statute Regarding the Welfare Pension of Senior Farmers (老年農民福利津貼暫行條例), while there was no proposal by the DPP, Wang said.

According to the statute, farmers older than 65 are entitled to a NT$6,000 monthly allowance as long as they have been insured in the Farmers’ Health Insurance program for more than six months and have not received a pension from other social insurance programs.

KMT Legislator Chung Shao-ho (鍾紹和) proposed the subsidy be increased to NT$10,000, rebutting DPP allegations that he made an irresponsible offer. He said the amount was based on the minimum cost of living set by the Ministry of the Interior — which was NT$14,000 in Taipei City.