By Chris Wang / Staff Reporter
The government will take a leading role in social welfare policy if the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) wins the presidential election in January, DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday.
The DPP’s policy will highlight the government’s role and responsibilities, unlike its rival, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which stresses subsidies and market mechanisms in the social welfare and service system, Tsai, the DPP’s presidential candidate, told about 100 representatives of social welfare organizations.
While President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said a president who does not save the DRAM industry is not qualified to be a national leader, Tsai said: “I would say that a president who would not stand on the same side with the underprivileged does not deserve to be a leader.”
The central government, rather than local governments and families, should be the driving force behind the entire social welfare system, she said.
Elaborating on her policy, she said that the government could not satisfy the demand of those in need simply by granting subsidies and the poorer people “could not afford any service on the market either.”
Laying out a five-point policy, she said public childcare and a barrier-free environment should be promoted and a comprehensive local social service system should be established.
Because Taiwan is a rapidly aging society with a low birth rate, the DPP plans to resume its 10-year development plan of long-term care, which has been abandoned since Ma assumed office, she said.
Finally, her administration would do its best to narrow income disparities, which have been one of the main reasons why many people were left in need of social welfare, she said.
In general, Tsai said, while the wish of representatives of these social service organizations — promoting the agency governing social service affairs to the ministry level — could not be done since the reorganization plan of the government has been finalized, the number of social workers should be dramatically increased.