Lawmaking process commences with AI as prime focus
Taiwan's New Legislative Session Kicks Off with 30 Priority Bills
A new legislative session has begun in Taiwan, with the Cabinet pledging to prioritize 30 bills aimed at spurring economic growth, improving livelihoods, and supporting young people and disadvantaged groups.
The session was marked by a meeting between Premier Cho Jung-tai and key DPP officials and lawmakers, during which Premier Cho expressed the need for better collaboration between the executive and legislative branches. He also urged attending DPP legislators to promote the Cabinet's agenda in their constituencies.
Among the 30 bills, there are several noteworthy proposals. One of them is a basic law on artificial intelligence (AI), which aims to establish guidelines for the ethical and responsible use of AI. The bills also include amendments to protect underwater infrastructure, such as subsea cables, against sabotage.
The Taiwan People's Party (TPP) has proposed several amendments as well. They aim to remove provisions allowing detention based on the risk of collusion from the Code of Criminal Procedure. The TPP also plans to amend the Assisted Reproduction Act to legalize surrogacy and safeguard the rights of infertile couples, and to standardize nutrition and safety standards for school lunch programs.
In addition, the TPP suggests amendments to allow public referendums to be held on the same day and at the same polling stations as national and municipal elections. They also propose legislation to safeguard the rights of food delivery workers employed by online platforms.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), on the other hand, has a duty to supervise the government, according to KMT caucus secretary-general Lo Chih-chiang. The KMT intends to support necessary government spending but will scrutinize the budget for wasteful, inflated, or questionable items. They also have a foremost priority to propose amendments to restore pension cuts for retired civil servants and educators.
Budget allocation disputes were mentioned as a point of concern by Premier Cho Jung-tai. He highlighted that the Ministry of Finance will need to address the imbalance caused by the budget allocation laws. Amendments to budget allocation laws have steered more resources toward major northern cities, but widened disparities for southern regions.
The session also includes bills to bolster coastal defense and amendments to the Business Mergers and Acquisitions Act. In addition, a draft revision of the Commodity Tax Act is also on the agenda.
Premier Cho Jung-tai also called on the DPP caucus to publicize the Cabinet's agenda, emphasizing the importance of transparency and collaboration in the legislative process. With these 30 bills, Taiwan aims to address a range of pressing issues and move forward in the 2023 legislative year.
Read also:
- United States tariffs pose a threat to India, necessitating the recruitment of adept negotiators or strategists, similar to those who had influenced Trump's decisions.
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
