Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Chen Shui-bian's 3-3-3 Promise


Prior to being elected Taiwan President in 2000, Chen Shui-bian (陈水扁) delivered a 3-3-3 promise.

1) To give poor citizens over 65 three thousand Taiwan dollars per month,
2) To exempt children under age 3 from paying any medical expenses, and
3) To offer loans at an interest rate of 3 per cent for first-time home buyers.

According to Denny Roy in Taiwan A Political History, making good on these promises would be difficult, given that Chen inherited a budget deficit resulting from several years of increases in social services, as well as reduced revenues due to tax and tariffs cut.

So with a year to go before his two-term presidency runs out, does anyone know if these policies had been remotely implemented?

Actually (2) sounds strange to me. Not as if Taiwan has a high rate of infant mortality. Or maybe it was to cover all grounds - the very young, the very old, and those in-between.

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