Taipei, June 12 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday asked Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators to quickly complete the review of several major bills, including a pension reform bill and an infrastructure development plan, despite opposition.
Tsai, who is also chairwoman of the DPP, told party lawmakers at a luncheon that damage from recent torrential rains shows the importance of water projects and urged them to push through the government's NT$890 billion (US$29.99 billion) infrastructure bill.
She also urged passage of a pension reform measure that would primarily cut the retirement benefits of Taiwan's teachers and civil servants, saying that pension reform and the infrastructure plan were crucial to Taiwan's overall reform program and economic development, according to Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang.
Tsai issued the appeal ahead of a special session of the country's Legislature scheduled for June 14 to July 5 focused on bills considered to be a high priority for the DPP.
Under the proposed infrastructure plan, the government intends to spend nearly NT$890 billion over eight years on infrastructure projects around Taiwan, including new light railways and several rail extension or improvement projects.
Green energy development and urban-rural construction and renewal projects are also part of the plan, which is aimed at spurring the country's development and enhancing the quality of life of Taiwan's residents.
A group of 10 political pundits and scholars issued a statement on Monday, however, that called for the infrastructure bill to be revised and for Tsai and Premier Lin Chuan (林全) to respond to concerns sparked by the proposed legislation and answer related questions.
The group, including former national policy advisor Rex How and former DPP legislator Lin Cho-shui, also said it would launch an initiative to collect 5,000 signatures in 60 days for a petition demanding that the government revisit the bill.
