Organization: Ministry of Education, Computer Center NETNEWS system V2.3
Date: Tuesday, 7 Apr 1992 17:54:00 EST
From: Wen-Sung Chen <WSCHEN@twnmoe10.edu.tw>
Newsgroups: soc.culture.taiwan,soc.culture.china,tw.misc
Subject: The Six-Year National Development Plan for Taiwan, R.O.C


      The Six-Year National Development Plan for Taiwan
              Republic of China (1991-1996)

                     20 Questions

        Council for Economic Planning and Development
                    Executive   Yuan
                      December 1991

Preface

The outstanding economic achievements won by the government of the
Republic of China on Taiwan over the past 40 years have been
termed an "economic miracle" by people all over the world, and the
"Taiwan experience" is widely admired and emulated by other
developing countries. Along with our rapid economic growth,
however, have come a number of imbalances and disjunctions which
are reflected with particular severity as defects in the areas of
transportation, environment, social order, culture, and leisure
activities.  To overcome these problems will require the
concentrated effort and wisdom of the government and the people of
our country.

The decade of the 1990s is a time of thoroughgoing change for the
Republic of China; in addition to implementing constitutional
reforms, we must also accelerate the pace of the nation's
modernization. The most urgent need facing us today, therefore, is
to carry out comprehensive, forward-looking planning for national
development with the goal of heightening the quality of life for
all of our people.

In view of this need, Premier Hau Pei-tsun directed the
formulation of the Six-Year National Development Plan (1991-1996).
This plan calls for the implementation over a six-year period of a
deries of major development projects designed, through integrated
and balanced planning and a two-pronged approach focusing on both
hardwre and software, to break through current bottlenecks in
development and switch our past bias toward increases in quantity
to an equal emphasis on enhancement of quality so that our society
can become more equitable and the fruits of development can be
enjoyed more equally by all.

We have compiled this little booklet to help our own people and
our friends around the world gain a better understanding of the
Six-Year National Development Plan.  In it we list 20 questions
that people might ask regarding the plan, and then answer those
questions in a simple and concise manner.  Questions about the
process of the plan's formulation, and about its goals, sources of
funding, and other contents are answered one by one, in detail,
with the aim of imparting knowledge about the meaning and
importance of the plan.  In this way, we hope, people will be
encouraged to participate in the plan and give it their full
support so that it may be completed smoothly and the goal of
boosting the Republic of China into the ranks of fully developed
nations may be achieved.

                    Council for Economic Planning and Development
                    Executive Yuan

                         Content

 1.Just What is the Six-Year National Development Plan?........1
 2.What is the content (or scope) of the Six-Year National
   Development Plan? What is the plan expected to accomplish?
   ............................................................4
 3.How was the Six-Year National Development Plan
   formulated?................................................11
 4.What are the policy goals of the Six-Year National
   Development Plan?..........................................14
 5.Who is responsible for carrying out the Six-Year National
   Development Plan? Is there a special agency charged with
   evaluating its progress?...................................15
 6.What is the difference between the Six-Year National
   Development Plan and the Twelve Major Development Projects
   and Fourteen Major Development Projects that were carried
   out in the past?...........................................17
 7.Is the Six-Year National Development Plan an ongoing
   program, or will it all be completed within six years?.....19
 8.What will be done with the huge amounts of manpower
   and equipment that will be left after completion of the
   Six-Year National Development Plan?........................20
 9.How much funding will the Six-Year National Development
   Plan require? Where will the funds come from?
10.Do the government and private sector have the capability of
   bearing the huge burden of funding the Six-Year National
   Development Plan? Will the financing of the plan affect the
   nation's economy?..........................................24
11.Which of the construction projects in the Six-Year
   National Development Plan will be open to investment by
   the private sector?........................................26
12.What are the 10 emerging industries and eight key
   technologies that are mapped out in the Six-Year National
   Development Plan? How will they help the ROC's future
   industrial development?....................................27
13.What transportation and communications projects are
   included in the Six-Year National Development Plan?........29
14.What about housing construction in the Six-Year National
   Development Plan? How will the land needed for new
   housing be obtained?.......................................32
15.Construction work accounts for the biggest part of the
   Six-Year National Development Plan.  Does the ROC have
   Sufficient manpower and construction capacity for this?....34
16.Why is the establishment of colleges and universities all
   around Taiwan included in the Six-year National Develop-
   ment Plan?.................................................36
17.What cultural projects are included in the Six-Year
   National Development Plan?.................................38
18.What is the environmental protection policy embodied in
   the Six-Year National Development Plan? How will that
   policy be implemented?.....................................41
19.What are the directions of development for the social secu-
   rity system mapped out in the Six-Year National Develop-
   ment Plan?.................................................43
20.What are living perimeters? How are they demarcated?
   What influence will they have on the living habits of the
   people?....................................................45


Question 1:
Just what is Six-Year National Development Plan?

Answer:

1.Since 1953 the government has carried out 10 medium-term
  economic development plans, and annual plans have been
  implemented since 1972.  All but one of the medium-term plans
  have covered four years.  The exception covered six years during
  the oil crises.
2.The scope of the Six-Year National Development Plan is fairly
  broad, including , in addition to economic development, such
  areas as culture, social progress, education, medical cares and
  environmental protection.  In general, it encompasses all
  hardware and software development relating to the quality of
  life of the nation's people.  The different projects that make
  up the plan were proposed by Central Government ministries and
  agencies, as well as provincial and city governments, and were
  formed into an integrated plan by the Council for Economic
  Planning and Development.
3.The Six-year Plan is of the nature of a set of guidelines that
  represents a consensus of governmental administrative agencies
  regarding the long-term perspectives, directions, and goals of
  national development.  During implementation, the plan will be
  reviewed and revised each year in accordance with changes in the
  subjective and objective environments at home and overseas, the
  ability to carry out the plan, and the financial resources of
  the nation.
4.The Six-year Plan may be said to be the result of a division of
  labor among all of the government's administrative agencies, and
  a symbol of the beginning of a new era in national development.
  Each ministry and agency at all levels of government must
  thoroughly carry out the part of the plan which falls within its
  jurisdiction.  Also essential are the participation and effort
  of the private sector; of particular importance is active
  participation in public construction, investment in and
  development of emerging industries, and observance of laws and
  regulations.  Only with effective implementation by the
  different government agencies as well as participation and
  support by the private sector can the goals of the plan be
  achieved, bringing a new face to the Republic of China's economy
  and society and starting a new era in national development.

Question 2
What is the content (or scope) of the Six-Year National Development Plan?
What is the plan expected to accomplish?

Answer:

1.The scope of content encompassed in the Six-year Plan is quite
  broad.  In addition to economic development, it includes
  cultural, social, and educational developments and the promotion
  of medical care.  In fact, it includes all hardware and software
  development relating to the national quality of life.
2.completion of the plan is expected to achieve the following
  results:
(1)Macroeconomic Targets
   -- An increase in per-capita gross national product (GNP) from
      approximately US$8,000 in 1990 to US$14,000 in 1996.
   -- A gradual balancing of exports and imports, with the Republic
      of China's surplus in goods and services trade dropping from
      US$9.8 billion in 1990 to US$1.4 billion.
(2)Major Development Goals
   -- Electricity generation: The current installed capacity is
      17,370,000 kilowatts, and the power reserve margin is only 8.4
      percent.  This small reserve margin leads to concerns about
      frequent blackouts, and therefore has a negative impact on
      willingness to invest in the private sector. Upon completion of
      the Six-year Plan the installed capacity will be expanded and the
      power reserve margin will be increased for supporting further
      economic growth.
   -- Air transport: The capacity of Chiang Kai-shek International
      Airport is currently 8 million passenger movements per year, and
      actual passenger movements are approaching saturation with
      7,730,000 annually.  Completion of the Six-year Plan will boost
      capacity to 2.5 times the present figure, to 20 million passengers
      per year, thereby providing room for further growth.  In terms of
      cargo capacity, the airport is now able to handle 410,000 metric
      tons per year, and actual traffic, at 380,000 tons, is approaching
      the saturation point.  The plan will expand capacity to 1,410,000
      tons, thereby greatly facilitating further economic growth.
   -- Land utilization: Planning and proper utilization of land are
      needed for industrial zones, residential, industrial/commercial
      land, land for transportaiton development, and land for other
      purposes.  To satisfy these diverse needs, planning for the
      conversion of 28,600 hectares of agricultural land will be rezoned
      and used for new purposes during the plan period.  A major water
      resource project is construction of the Mainung Reservoir, which
      will become a major source of water for residents and industries
      in the Kaohsiung area.
   -- Railroads and highway: Completion of the high-speed railway
      will shorten traveling time from Taipei to Kaohsiung to under two
      hours, but only the Taipei-Taichung sector is expected to be
      finished within the plan period.  Improvement of national,
      provincial, and county roads will provide a faster and more
      convenient transportation network that will enhance the efficiency
      of cargo and passenger transport and bring about a corresponding
      rise in the quality of life.
   -- Environmental protection: The living environment will be improved
      through the construction of sanitary sewers, the carrying out of
      river pollution control, the building of garbage treatment facilities
      ,the production and use of lead-free gasoline, and the reduction of
      the sulfur content of fuel oil.
   -- Medical treatment and health care: In line with the institution
      of a universal health insurance plan in 1994, a comprehensive
      health care system will be established, regional hospitals will be
      added, and medical facilities and personnel will be augmented.
   -- Housing construction: The government will povide assistance for
      the construction of 300,000 units of housing and the private
      sector will build another 600,000 units in order to enhance the
      quality of housing and improve the living environment.
   -- Development of living perimeters: Human activity is the primary
      content of living perimeter planning, which is divided into six
      separate areas: work, residence, leisure, schooling, medical care,
      and shopping.  These various activities will be connected by a
      fast and convenient transportation network so that residents of a
      living perimeter will be enabled to enjoy relatively good public
      utilities and services.  The Six-year Plan divides Taiwan into 18
      living perimeters with the aim of reducing regional imbalances.
   -- Educational and cultural facilities: Four regional
      higher-education systems will be developed, one each in the
      northern, central, southern, and eastern areas of Taiwan.  Each
      region will get at least one new comprehensive university and new
      middle schools in order to reduce the educational and cultural gap
      between urban and reduce the educational and cultural gap between
      urban and rural areas. In addition, each township will have a
      library, swimming pool, and sports park, and neighborhood schools
      will be used to strengthen adult education. County and city
      cultural centers will also be augmented so as to make full use of
      their special features.
   -- Social welfare: The assurance of basic job and living security
      will be expanded; welfare for the aged, disabled, women, and the
      young will be promoted; and welfare for the aborigines inhabitants
      and residents of remoted areas will be improved in order to
      strengthen the function of social welfare.
   -- Leisure facilities: To satisfy the need for five recreational
      trips per person per year, planning will be carried out for
      regional recreational and leisure facilities as well as urban park
      and green-space systems, and leisure  information systems will be
      strengthened. At the same time, plans will be formulated for the
      development of outstanding natrual and cultural sites, as well as
      for their efficient management and preservation. In addition,
      needed facilities will be constructed in coordination with the
      development of living perimeters.

Question 3
How was the Six-Year National Development Plan formulated?

Answer:

1.The range encompassed by the Six-Year National Development Plan
  is very broad, involving the areas of jurisdiction of different
  Central Government ministries and other agencies as well as
  local governments.  The plan's various projects, therefore, were
  first proposed by 25 ministries and other agencies of the
  Central Government, along with the Taiwan Provincial Government,
  the Taipei City Government, and the Kaohsiung City Government.
  These proposals were brought together and integrated by the
  Council for Economic Planning and Development in accordance with
  policy goals and in consideration of demand for and supply of
  national resources.
2.In its basic concepts and policy goals, the plan received input
  from President Lee Teng-hui and Premier Hau Pei-tsun.  On
  numerous occasions the heads of Central Government ministries
  and other agencies, heads of provincial and city governments,
  members of the Legislative Yuan's Economics Committee, scholars,
  experts, and representatives from mass media were invited to
  briefings, and the opinions they expressed following the
  briefings were evaluated and incorporated into the plan.
3.After a preliminary draft of the plan was completed, it was sent
  to the 25 ministries and other agencies of the Central
  Government as well as to the provincial and city governments for
  final examination and adjustment.  Proposed revisions were
  handled one by one; either they were incorporated into the plan,
  or the text of the plan was adjusted accordingly.
4.The final plan, incorporating input from government and business
  leaders, legislators, scholars, and experts, was approved by the
  Executive Yuan on January 31,1991.

Question 4
What are the policy goals of the Six-Year National Development Plan?

Answer:

     The major priorities of the plan are to rebuild social and
economic order and promote balanced development. There are four
policy goals: to raise national income, foster growth potential,
balance regional development, and enhance the national quality of
life. The primary spirit of the plan lies in strengthening the
basic infrastructure in terms of both hardware and software, with
the aim of breaking through bottlenecks to development and
accelerating modernization of the country.

Question 5
Who is responsible for carrying out the Six-Year National Development Plan?
Is there a special agency charged with evaluating its progress?

Answer:

     The plan is being carried out by the various ministries and
other agencies of the Central Government, and by the provincial
and city governments. The projects for water conservancy and flood
control and those for transportation and communications, for
example, are being implemented respectively by the Ministry of
Economic Affairs and by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications,
both along with the provincial and city governments, and the energy projects
are being carried out by the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Major projects
for which budgets have been approved are monitored and followed up.
Under the principle of division of labor, the Council for Economic Planning
and Development is in charge of evaluating substantive construction projects,
while evaluation of general admnistrative projects and science development
projects are the responsibility of the Research, Development and Evaluation
Commission and the National Science Council, respectively.

Question 6
What is the difference between the Six-Year National Development Plan
and the Twelve Major Development Projects and Fourteen Major Development
Projects that were carried out in the past?

Answer:

1.The Twelve Major Development Projects and Fourteen Major
  Development Projects were, in accordance with administrative
  procedure, included in the annual budgets of administrative
  agencies (including those of the Central Government and local
  governments). They were individual projects which were approved
  by the relevant elective organs and carried out separately.
2.The Six-year Plan, by constrast, is an integrated administrative
  program for the executive branch of government.  It includes
  ongoing projects at various stages of implementation by various
  agencies that had already been approved separately in accordance
  with administrative procedure, as well as new projects that also
  must be approved.  These projects will be provided for in the
  budgets and implemented only after those budgets are formally
  approved.

Question 7
Is the Six-Year National Development Plan an ongoing program, or will
it all be completed within six years?

Answer:

1.About 60 percent of the projects in the Six-year Plan in terms
  of financial requirement are ongoing projects that have been
  individually approved one by one in accordance with
  administrative procedure-projects such as the Taipei City mass
  rapid transit system and, under the jurisdiction of the Taiwan
  Provincial Government, Nanhua Reservoir and Liyutan Reservoir.
2.The various projects included in the Six-year Plan have
  different completion dates.  Some will be completed in less than
  six years; will require more than six years to finish.

Question 8
What will be done with the huge amounts of manpower and equipemnt
that will be left after completion of the Six-Year National
Development Plan?

Answer:

     Public construction is, by nature, a long-term and ongoing
effort; while the Six-year Plan will complete a number of major
construction projects, the work will have to continue into the
future.  Experienced technical personnel and workmen, therefore,
will be used in carrying out ongoing and new projects in later
years.  The equipment involved, except for that portion which is
worn out, will also remain useful.  In addition to this, the
availability of experienced technical personnel will not only
heighten the quality of domestic engineering works, but will also
strengthen the nation's capability in bidding for overseas
construction projects and, thereby, promote the
internationalization of the ROC's construction industry.

Question 9
How much funding will the Six-Year National Development Plan require?
Where will the funds come from?

Answer:

     The total funding required for public projects during the
Six-year Plan period, according to the proposals of the various
agencies involved, is approximately NT$8.2 trillion.  The content
of this total, and its sourcing, are broken down as follows:
1.Of the total, NT$1.9 trillion comes under the category of
  existing current expenditures on culture, education, science,
  and social welfare, and is to be allocated from current
  government revenues.
2.NT$2.1 trillion is investment by public enterprises and will be
  funded by those enterprises themselves.  The government needs to
  provide none of this funding.
3.NT$600 billion will be provided through participation by the
  private sector.
4.NT$3.6 trillion will be provided for in the government's capital
  account budget.  Approximately NT$2.5 trillion of this amount
  will come from government savings over the six-year period.  The
  remaining NT$1.1 trillion will be provided partly by the sale of
  government property and partly from the insurance of government
  bonds.
  The funding actually needed to carry out the Six-year Plan will
be allocated annually in accordance with budgetary procedure and
with fiscal prudence.

Question 10
Do the government and private sector have the capability of bearing
the huge burden of funding the Six-Year National Development Plan?
Will the financing of the plan affect the nation's economy?

Answer:

1.The total gross national product (GNP) over the period of the
  Six-year Plan will be NT$38.4 trillion.  National savings will
  amount to 29.3 percent of this figure, providing the source of
  funding for investment by the public and private sectors.
2.The public-investment portion of the Six-year Plan amounts to
  NT$5.2 trillion, or 13.8 percent of the GNP, which is within a
  reasonable range.  Private investment over the six-year period
  will amount to 12.5 percent of the GNP.  Public and private
  investment together will account for 26.3 percent of the GNP;
  this is less than the national savings rate of 29.3 percent,
  indicating that the supply of capital over the next six years
  will exceed the demand.  There will, in other words, still be an
  excess of savings.
3.The funding needed for carrying out each of the public
  construction projects included in the plan will be subject to
  the annual budgetary process.  Funds will be approved in
  accordance with the ability to supply them on the basis of sound
  fiscal management.

Question 11
Which of the construction projects in the Six-Year National Development
Plan will be open to investment by the private sector?

Aanwer:

1.The completion of the Six-year Plan depends upon the carrying
  out of various public works.  A number of these projects, such
  as large shopping centers, schools, hospitals, and sports and
  leisure facilities, are revenue producing and will be open to
  private participation as much as possible.
2.The authorities in charge will evaluate the feasibility of
  opening the projects indicated in the preceding paragraph to
  private investment.  In accordance with the results of this
  evaluation, incentives will be established to mobilize private
  capital and channel it into the development of those projects.

Question 12
What are the 10 emerging industries and eight key technologies that
are mapped out in the Six-Year National Development Plan?
How will they help the ROC's future industrial development?

Answer:

1.The 10 emerging industries identified in the Six-year Plan are
  telecommunications, information, consumer electronics,
  semiconductors, precision machinery and automation, aerospace,
  advanced material, specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals,
  medical and health care, and pollution control.  The eight key
  technologies are optoelectronics, information software,
  industrial automation, materials application, advanced sensing
  technology, biotechnology, resource development, and energy
  conservation.
2.Promoting the development of emerging industries and key
  technologies can expand the room available for further
  industrial growth, upgrade the level of technology, and raise
  the value-added and international competitiveness of
  made-in-Taiwan products.

Question 13
What transportation and communications projects are included in the
Six-Year National Development Plan?

Answer:

     Transportation and communications development holds an
  important position in the plan.  The major projects in this area
  are as follows:
  1.Mass rapid transit systems
    (1)Completion of the initial route network of the Taipei City
      mass rapid transit system.
    (2)Planning, design, and construction of the first-stage route
       network of a mass rapid transit system for the Kaohsiung
       metropolitan area.
    (3)Planning and design of a mass rapid transport system route
       network for the Taichung Metropolitan area.
    (4)Planning and design of mass rapid transport system route
       networks for the Tainan, Taoyuan, and Hsinchu metropolitan
       areas.
  2.Highways
    (1)Improvement and widening of the Sun Yat-sen National Freeway.
    (2)Planning and construction of a second freeway in northern
       Taiwan.
    (3)Planning and construction of a cross-island freeway network.
    (4)Improvement of the west-coast expressway.
    (5)Construction of 12 east-west expressways.
    (6)Improvement of major provincial and county roads.
    (7)Improvement of access roads for freeways interchanges and
       major scenic areas.
  3.Railroads
    (1)Construction of the high-speed railway, and inauguration of
       traffic on the Taipei-Taichung sector.
    (2)Completion of the South Link Railroad.
    (3)completion of work extending Taipei's underground railroad
       eastward to the Sungshan district.
    (4)Construction of a four-track underground railroad between
       Wanhua and Panchiao.
    (5)Improvement of railways in eastern Taiwan.
  4.Harbors
    (1)Expansion of international harbors at Keelung and Kaohsiung.
    (2)Expansion of Anping Harbor.
    (3)Construction of an industrial harbor at Kuanyin.
  5.Airports
    (1)Expansion of Chiang Kai-shek International Airport.
    (2)Expansion of Kaohsiung International Airport.
    (3)Imporvement of flight control facilities at Hualien Airport.

Question 14
What about housing construction in the Six-Year National Development Plan?
How will the land needed for new housing be obtained?

Answer:

1.New housing contruction needed during the period of the Six-Year
  National Development Plan is estimated at 900,000 units.  The
  government will assist with the construction of 300,000 of those
  units, while private investment will account for 600,000 units.
2.As for the land needed for construction of new housing, some
  housing will be rebuilt on existing sites and some land will be
  converted from agricultural use to the development of new
  residential communities.  Approximately 10,000 hectares will be
  needed for housing construction.  Land will be acquired
  primarily through the "Section requisition Method" under the
  following principles:
  (1)40 percent of the land will be returned to the original
     owner.
  (2)35-40 percent will be used for public facilities.
  (3)20-25 percent will be reserved for housing.
  The cost of building public facilities will be offset with revenue
  from the sale of housing.

Question 15
Construction work accounts for the biggest part of the Six-Year National
Development Plan.  Does the ROC have sufficient manpower and
construction capacity for this?

Answer:

1.The construction projects included in the plan were all proposed
  by agencies of the Central Government as well as the Taiwan
  Provincial Government, Taipei City Government, and Kaohsiung
  City Government in accordance with their own areas of authority,
  actual needs, and capabilities.  The different porjects will be
  carried out according to annual budgetary procedure and in
  coordination with private investement and the participation of
  builders.  In this way, construction capacity will be adequate
  to meet the challenge.
2.Related agencies of the Executive Yuan will coordinate the supply
  of manpower needed for the public construction portion of the
  plan.  If domestic manpower is insufficient, consideration will
  be given to the importation of foreign workers by companies that
  win construction bids.  The government will charge the Council
  of Labor Affairs and other related agencies with handling
  quality and supervision of foreign workers in accordance with
  the "Measures for Handling the Manpower Needs of 14 Major
  Development Projects."

Question 16
Why is the establishment of colleges and universities all around Taiwan
included in the Six-Year National Development Plan?

Answer:

1.On the one hand, the expansion of higher education in the future
  will bring about an overall upgrading of manpower quality and
  provide the different types and levels of personnel needed for
  national development; on the other hand, it will alleviate the
  heavy pressure on students in their struggle for higher
  education, and will satisfy the desire for greater knowledge.
  At the same time, construction of more schools will promote a
  balanced regional development of education in northern, central,
  southern and eastern Taiwan.
2.The human resources cultivated by the various colleges and
  universities will open up new horizons and opportunities for
  empolyment.  After six years, the number of students enrolled in
  colleges (including the last two years in 5-year junior
  colleges) and universities will constitute approximately 2.6
  percent of the entire population (about 1.56 percent in
  universities alone).

Question 17
What cultural projects are included in the Six-Year National Development
Plan?

Answer:

   Cultural development focuses equally on hardware and software; it is
aimed at enhancing the level of art appreciation, providing a balance of
cultural facilities between urban and rural areas, and promoting
international cultural interchange.  The following projects are included
in the plan:
 1.Production of cultural programs for radio and television.
 2.Planning and establishing a folk arts park in eastern Taiwan.
 3.Planning and setting up an art bank.
 4.Promotion of a holiday cultural plaza projects.
 5.Planning and establishing Chinese cultural centers overseas.
 6.Promotion of the second-stage program for county and city
   cultural centers.
 7.Establishment of overseas cultural agencies.
 8.Planning and establishing a library of modern literature.
 9.Planning and establishing art galleries.
10.Planning and establishing a Chinese culture park.
11.Patronage to international performing arts troupes.
12.Promotion of the translation of Chinese literature.
13.Planning and establishing a cultural heritage research
   institute.
14.Promotion of beautification of public places.
15.Planning and establishing a public television station.
16.Promotion of the ROC film industry.
17.Promotion of a plan for the care of senior artists.
18.Planning and constructing an ethnomusic center.
19.Planning and establishing and audiovisual arts library.
20.Planning and establishing a training center for professional
   cultural personnel.
21.Planning and establishing a folk arts park in southern Taiwan.
22.Augmenting of central and local cultural funds.
23.Planning and establishing a "home of writers."
24.Promotion of the preservation of Erhkan Village in the Penghu
   Islands.
25.Planning and establishing an art village.
26.Sponsoring exhibitions and performances for promoting
   international cultural exchange.
27.Sponsoring training of volunteer cultural agency workers.

Question 18
What is the environmental protection policy embodied in the Six-Year
National Development Plan?
How will that policy be implemented?

Answer:

1.Based on overall long-term national interests, the current
  environmental protection policy outline sets two major goals.
  One is to preserve an ecological balance so as to assure ongoing
  utilization by future generations, and the other is to seek an
  environmental quality that is consistent with health, safety,
  and comfort to protect the living environment, and to avoid
  damage caused by pollution.  Under these two goals,
  environmental protection and economic development will receive
  equal attention.
2.In the plan, public investment in enviornmental protection
  includes improvement of garbage treatment, prevention of water
  pollution, carrying out of river pollution control, construction
  of sanitary sewers, treatment of industrial wastes, prevention
  of air pollution and noise pollution.  Most of the funding for
  this work will be allocated from government budgets at various
  levels, while some will be provided by public enterprises in the
  form of business expenses.

Question 19
What are the directions of development for the social security system
mapped out in the Six-Year National Development Plan?

Answer:

  In order to enhance the blessings of life, the directions of
development for the social security system are as follows:
1.Strengthening of the existing social insurance function and
  expansion of basic living guarantees.
2.Priority provision of health assurance for the nation's people,
  and protection of safety in life and at work.
3.Adherence to the spirit of self-help and mutual help,
  maintenance of a balance in the social security system's
  revenues and expenditures, and strengthening of guidance in the
  concept of equality of rights and responsibilities.
4.Popularization of the social security system to encompass a
  wider range of beneficiaries and, through social insurance
  methods, helping of citizens to maintain a basic livelihood
  during periods of unempolyment.
5.Conversion of social security payments for the elderly, the
  disabled, and widows and children from the current lumpsum
  payments to annual payments in order to fulfill the function of
  long-term care.

Question 20
What are living perimeters? How are they demarcated?
What influence will they have on the living habits of the people?

Answer:

1.The living perimeter is a planning concept that centers on the
  human being and takes into consideration six of his major
  activities: work, residence, leisure, schooling, medical care,
  and shopping.  It requires the coordination of a suitable land
  usage allocation and the linkage of rapid, safe transportation
  networks so as to meet the needs of everyday life.  This is the
  basic principle of living perimeters.
2.Taiwan area has been divided into 18 living perimeters in
  accordance with the concept described above.  Six of these --
  Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung -- are
  metropolitan living perimeters, while the other 12 are ordinary
  living perimeters (see map).
3.The content of living perimeter planning and development is the
  provision of modernized factors relating to daily life -- the
  working environment, housing construction, leisure facilities,
  cultural and educational facilities, medical care networks,
  shopping facilities, and road systems.  This will not only
  increase the quantity of public facilities for everyday living
  but will also enhance their quality; in this way the living
  environment will be improved, the enjoyment of life will be
  heightened, and the quality of life in the country will be
  boosted to a level comparable to that in the advanced countries
  of Europe and America.