PDF(2.7mb) - 國家政策研究基金會

More documents

Recommendations

Info

82 Taiwan Development Perspectives 2009 Introduction Taiwan has tried to establish a sound social welfare system since 1950. A safety net has been provided for most of the people but some of them – housewives, the unemployed, mature students and some retirees – were left out. Many lacked support after retirement, in particular. A national pension scheme was needed. That scheme was finally set in place in the year 2008. The national pension system was established. This paper discusses issues of income security of the aged. It reviews important developments of the social welfare system in Taiwan and its fast aging society. Efforts are made to explain why and how the national pension system came into being. Attempts are also made to probe the future of that system. History of the Development of Welfare and Pension Systems in Taiwan Taiwan took the first significant social welfare measure in the year 1958. It was a golden year, which witnessed the legislation of the Factories Act, the Factory Inspection Act, the Minimum Wages Act, the Labor Contract Act, the Workers’ Welfare Benefits Rules, and the Labor Dispute Solution Act. (See Table A.) Also, a labor insurance scheme was officially started, providing protection for workers ever since. Benefits include payments for injury, disability, childbirth, death and old age. Taiwan’s labor insurance, started 75 years after Germany, ushered in a new era of social insurance. Another important year is 1980. A series of laws were adopted. They included the Old Age Welfare Act, the Handicapped Welfare Act, the Social Assistance Act, and the Private School Staff Insurance Rules. They paved the way for many laws to come. For instance, the Old Age Welfare Act provided the basic protection for the elderly when Taiwan became an aging society in the late 1990s. The Handicapped Welfare Act evolved into a Disabled People Protection Act. The Social Assistance Act has been invoked to provide emergency aid and service for the poor. Still another important year is 1994. Taiwan launched national health insurance. It is Taiwan’s first general and mandatory social insurance. The fourth, and probably the most, important year is 2008 which saw the inauguration of national pension insurance (NPI). Started on October 1, NPI provides an “annuity” for the people of Taiwan. (The NPI Act was adopted in 2007.) NPI is different from a pension system in other countries. In Taiwan, NPI is neither universal nor fully mandatory. It now only shields people who are not participants in employment-related insurance, in particular the labor insurance coverage. These people include housewives, students, and the unemployed who are apparently not employed by anyone under any circumstances and definitely have no stable or sustainable income at all. The government shares the finical burden in a much higher ratio than the employment-related insurance. In addition, on August 13, the Labor Insurance Act was amended to end lump-sum payment in favor of an old age pension system. It is believed that the latter provides more and better economic security for participants. As Taiwan is aging fast, poverty of the elderly is a problem that needs to be addressed. Western European countries have continued their pension reform. Some have reduced public spending for pension, encouraging people to sign up for private annuities. Others have raised the mandatory retirement age. Taiwan falls far behind the Western countries in the protection of its elderly population. A basic universal pension system that can provide for all retirees has not yet been established. And the risk of aged people falling below the poverty line is increasing because of the economic slowdown in Taiwan, while the pressure of inflation grows. The elderly account for more than 10 percent of Taiwan’s population. At the same time, because retirees increase in number, its workforce is shrinking rapidly. The burden of the working population to care for the aged will become heavier as years go by.
Establishment of the Pension System in Taiwan 83 Consensus should be reached on how to cope with the problems of poverty in the old age and/or after retirement as soon as possible. Moreover, efforts should be redoubled to establish a comprehensive financing plan to back up a basic universal pension protection system lest Taiwan should face a financial crisis triggered by a similar pension scheme in the United States and Europe. It is also recommended that the government reexamine its policy of subsidizing the needy. The government should aim at building a sustainable pension system for the aged. Table A Social Welfare Legislation and Policies in Taiwan Year Social welfare legislation Social welfare programs, measures Before 1949 Factories Act, Factory Inspection Act, Minimum Wage Act, Labor contract Act, Workers’ Benefits Rules, and Labor Disputes 1947 Department of Social Affairs, Taiwan Provincial, set up Handling Act 1950 Servicemen Insurance and Labor Insurance launched 1952 Veterans Affairs Commission, Executive Yuan, R.O.C. set up 1953 Army, Navy and Air Force Servicemen Insurance Rules 1958 Labor Insurance Rules, and Civil Servants Insurance Act 1963 Assistance of children service program from the Children's Fund of the United Nations 1964 Social policy of Present Stage for the Principle of the People's Livelihood 1965 Social Welfare Fund set up 1966 Strengthening Social Welfare Measures of Provinces and Cities (Phase I) 1967 Social Assistance Investigation of Taiwan Province Law 1968 Labor Insurance Rules (amended) Community Development Eight-year Plan for Taiwan Province, and the Outlines for Community Development Program 1969 Outlines for present social construction program 1970 Four-year community development plan for Taipei City, Ten-year community development plan for Taiwan Province 1971 Strengthening Social Welfare Measures of Provinces and Cities (Phase II) 1972 Plan for Family Well-off Plan to Re-construct the Poor and Disabled 1973 Children’s Welfare Act, and Labor Insurance Rules (amended) Plan for Health and Wealth
Page 1 and 2:
CONTENTS Preface Overview ix xi Foc
Page 3:
Agriculture and Fisheries Impact of
Page 6 and 7:
CHUANG, Yih-chyi( 莊奕琦 ) Pro
Page 8 and 9:
TAN, Ching-yu( 譚瑾瑜 ) Associ
Page 10 and 11:
enth effort on the part of the Foun
Page 12 and 13:
ills pertinent to parliamentary ref
Page 14 and 15:
xiv
Page 16 and 17:
2 Taiwan Development Perspectives 2
Page 18 and 19:
Page 20 and 21:
Page 22 and 23:
Page 24 and 25:
10 Taiwan Development Perspectives
Page 26 and 27:
Page 28 and 29:
Page 30 and 31:
Page 32 and 33:
Page 34 and 35:
Page 36 and 37:
Page 38 and 39:
Page 40 and 41:
Page 42 and 43:
Page 44 and 45:
Page 46 and 47: 32 Taiwan Development Perspectives
Page 146 and 147:
Page 148 and 149:
Page 150 and 151:
Page 152 and 153:
Page 154 and 155:
Page 156 and 157:
Page 158 and 159:
Page 160 and 161:
Page 162 and 163:
Page 164 and 165:
Page 166 and 167:
Page 168 and 169:
Page 170 and 171:
Page 172 and 173:
Page 174 and 175:
Page 176 and 177:
Page 178 and 179:
Page 180 and 181:
Page 182 and 183:
Page 184 and 185:
Page 186 and 187:
Page 188 and 189:
Page 190 and 191:
Page 192 and 193:
Page 194 and 195:
Page 196 and 197:
Page 198 and 199:
Page 200 and 201:
Page 202 and 203:
Page 204 and 205:
Page 206 and 207:
Page 208 and 209:
Page 210 and 211:
Page 212 and 213:
Page 214 and 215:
Page 216 and 217:
Page 218 and 219:
Page 220 and 221:
Page 222 and 223:
Page 224 and 225:
Page 226 and 227:
Page 228 and 229:
Page 230 and 231:
Page 232 and 233:
Page 234 and 235:
Page 236 and 237:
Page 238 and 239:
Page 240 and 241:
Page 242 and 243:
Page 244 and 245:
Page 246 and 247:
Page 248 and 249:
Page 250 and 251:
Page 252 and 253:
Page 254 and 255:
Page 256 and 257:
Page 258 and 259:
Page 260 and 261:
Page 262 and 263:
Page 264 and 265:
Page 266 and 267:
Page 268 and 269:
Page 270 and 271:
Page 272 and 273:
Page 274 and 275:
Page 276 and 277:
Page 278 and 279:
Page 280 and 281:
Page 282 and 283:
Page 284 and 285:
Page 286 and 287:
Page 288 and 289:
Page 290 and 291:
Page 292 and 293:
Page 294 and 295:
Page 296 and 297:
Page 298 and 299:
Page 300 and 301:
Page 302 and 303:
show all

PDF(2.7mb) - 國家政策研究基金會

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?