Our Vision, the Government's Implementation

Our Vision, the Government's Implementation
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
September 29, 2010

Last Thursday this newspaper began publishing its 2030 series of news reports. We imagined how Taiwan might be 20 years into the future. We explored economic development, educational policy, land planning international relations, civil society, covering most important domestic and foreign issues. We invited scholars and experts to provide insights and focus regarding key issues. The 2030 series of special reports explored the issues in greater depth than other fora. It outlined a highly specific future for Taiwan. Of course we hope the current administration and future political leaders will carefully read our analyses, then implement our recommendations. After all, a better future cannot be achieved by individual members of the public on a piecemeal basis. It will require governmental authority and policy coordination.

The above reports showed that such positive visions reflect the subjective views of scholars and experts. They also reveal the shortfall between ideals and reality. Indeed, when people who care about education compare the enthusiasm of the 4/10 Educational Reform March of 16 years ago, to chaotic reform measures in recent years, how can they not feel depressed? We have been consuming our seed corn for the past decade, relentlessly squandering the information industry capital Li Kuo-ting and Sun Yun-suan bequeathed us. When people who care about the economy see how utterly incapable we are at establishing new industries with comparative advantages, how can they not be worried? The gap between the future scholars and experts depict, and the reality of today's Taiwan is too great. This raises concerns about the government's ability to realize our dreams for the future.

Pessimistically speaking, the rosy future depicted 20 years from today is a "pie in the sky." Everyone makes it sound so inevitable. But to realize the vision depicted, those in power, specifically the president and the premier, must carefully read what these experts have to say. They must internalize their recommendations, and treat them as genuine expectations. Those in office must think like executives. They must divide the work into manageable units, and after discussion and communication, instruct their ministers to carry them out. Assigning tasks is merely the first step in realizing the vision. The president and premier must carefully monitor any progress. Such persistence, perseverance, and close supervision was the key to Li Kuo-ting's successful promotion of the Hsinchu Science Park, and to Sun Yun-suan's successful promotion of the IC industry. Fail to follow up on the details, or to ensure close supervision, and the vision will remain a pie in the sky.

The issues covered in these newspaper reports were all major issues. Each issue includes many secondary issues. These also require the same perseverance to be successful. Take environmental protection, a big issue, as a way to address a smaller issue, "carbon reduction." Readers should have no trouble understanding that the key is follow through. In 2009, President Ma announced his vision for carbon reduction on Taiwan. This vision included reducing carbon emissions in 2020 to their 2008 level, and in 2025 to their 2000 level. But such carbon reduction goals are unreal fantasies. Achieving such goals would require the reduction of motor vehicle emissions, the introduction of alternative power generation, the reduction of industrial emissions, industrial restructuring, and the promotion of smart metering. To achieve these goals, the president or premier would have to rally the heads of the Ministry of Transportation, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the Environmental Protection Bureau. They would have to establish emission reduction timetables, and supervise their implementation, without relaxation.

This is hardly the situation on Taiwan. The president may have announced carbon reduction goals. The "Renewable Energy Development Bill" may have been passed. But over the past year at least, environmentalists have seen no concrete improvements in power generation, vehicle emissions, or industrial restructuring. Has the Ministry of Economic Affairs encouraged the public to make use of alternative energy sources? Is the public aware it can sell electrical power to government? Has the Ministry of Transportation adopted progressive vehicle emissions taxes like the European Union? The petrochemical industry has recently been a hotbed of controversy. What exactly is its position on carbon reduction? Shouldn't it make its 10 year carbon reduction targets known to the public?

A quick look at energy conservation and carbon emissions alone, and it is obvious the Ma administration lacks the ability to follow through on implementation. As a member of the media, all we can do is offer a vision, rally the public, and create a consensus. But any vision requires governmental implementation to work. This newspaper's series of reports is merely the first stage in a relay race. The next two or three stages will depend upon the government's administrative ability and strength of will.

中時電子報 新聞
中國時報 　2010.09.29
願景我們描繪 執行要靠政府
本報訊

　本報自上周四起開始推出二○三○系列報導，分別從不同面向透視廿年後的台灣前景。就切入角度而言，我們探討經濟發展、教育政策、國土規畫、國際關係、公民社會等，幾乎涵蓋所有重要的內政與外交議題。就分析的視野觀點而言，本報所邀請析論的學者專家也都能洞見癥結，銳利地釐清問題。就深度而言，這一系列二○三○的專題報導，相較於最近其他類似議題的討論都更為深入，也為台灣的未來描繪了相當具體的輪廓。當然，我們希望現在的主政者與未來有志於政治領導的人都能認真地閱讀、體會這一系列的分析，進而推動落實。畢竟，打造美好台灣不能單靠人民分散切割的投入，也需要政府公權力及政策的配合與努力。

　由前述系列報導我們發現，民間的學者專家在議題論述中均呈現出深切的期待。這種正面的願景期待一方面反映學者專家的主觀理念，但另一方面也對比出理想與現實之間的落差。的確，當關心台灣教育的人比較十六年前四一○教改遊行的熱情期盼與這些年來教改措施的紛亂雜沓，他們的心情焉能不沉重？當關心台灣經濟的人看到十數年來台灣以「吃老本」的態勢逐漸消耗李國鼎與孫運璿為我們累積的資訊產業資產，卻完全無法開創新一波的產業相對優勢，他們豈能不焦急？整體而言，學者專家為我們描繪的願景，與當前台灣的環境差距甚大，這也使我們對政府實踐願景的執行力感到憂心。

　從消極面來看，廿年後的遠景有如「畫大餅」，人人都能說得頭頭是道。若要真正讓願景描繪發揮功能，就需要主政者（總統與行政院長）認真的、仔細的讀通這些專家的意見，進而將這些意見「內化」為真心期待的看法。然後，主政者就該進入執行面的思考，將達成願景所須做的工作切割為若干區塊，經過討論溝通，責成相關的部會首長去貫徹。對首長交辦任務只是推動願景的起步；接下來，總統與行政院長就該仔細地、定期地檢視進度。這種執著的目標方向感與鍥而不捨的緊盯態度，是李國鼎當年成功推動竹科、孫運璿成功開創ＩＣ產業的關鍵。這些後續細節若是做不好、盯不緊，則願景就必然只是大餅，全無實質意義。

　本報所報導的系列專題探討的都是大題目，而每一個大主題底下都還有細項子題，也都需要類似前述的貫徹緊盯態度，才可能有成。我們就以環境保育大議題中「減碳」一個小項來談，讀者當能理解後續執行的關鍵。馬總統在二○○九年就已經宣示了台灣減碳的願景，包括在二○二○年降至○八年的排放水準、二○二五年降至二○○○年的水準等。但這樣的減碳目標只是虛幻的期待，必須要靠汽機車減排、發電替代、工業排放減少、產業重組、智慧電表推廣等手段方能達成。為了達成這些目標，總統或院長就該召集交通部、經濟部、環保署等首長，定下各個部會、各個分項的減排期程，然後督促其執行，絲毫不放鬆。

　台灣的情形卻不是如此：雖然總統減碳的目標已經宣示了，《再生能源發展條例》也已經通過了，但至少在過去這一年，環保人士都看不到台灣在發電、汽車排放、產業重組等方面有什麼具體的改善。經濟部有大力宣導促使民間加入替代能源的行列嗎？民間有「發電可賣給政府」的認知嗎？汽車排放的稅費，交通部有像歐盟那樣分期漸進的規畫嗎？最近吵翻天的石化產業，究竟在減碳拼圖上處於什麼地位？十年後減碳目標的百分比究竟是如何分配，難道不該向民眾宣導嗎？

　見微知著，我們由節能減碳單一向度的觀察，就能想像馬政府頗為欠缺追蹤貫徹政策的執行力。作為媒體，我們只能在願景上盡言責，匯集民間力量，凝聚共同期待。但是所有的願景期待，都要靠踏實的政府執行方克竟功。本報的系列報導只是願景接力賽的第一棒；接下來的二、三棒要怎麼跑，就要看府院的能力與魄力了。