New Cabinet: From Sean Chen to Lee Hong-yuan

New Cabinet: From Sean Chen to Lee Hong-yuan
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 12, 2011

Summary: Political appointees on Taiwan have long been subject to political interference and the bureaucratization of the administrative process. Sean Chen, Lee Hong-yuan, and others, represent the emergence of a new breed of political appointee, Their professionalism and courage have provided the cabinet with new drive. The cabinet needs more courageous and prudent cabinet officials, We hope such people will be given more room to develop.

Full Text below:

Under Vice Premier Sean Chen's leadership, yesterday government bonds caught fire. Using a paltry 10 billion NT, Chen boosted the index 400 points. This lifted Taiwan stocks out of the global recession. The timing, technique, and results, prove that his move was a success, Sean Chen's reputation for expertise and professionalism is well-deserved.

Heavy handed government intervention has been much too common on Taiwan. Shrewdly capable political appointees such as Sean Chen are rare. Much more common are fence-sitters and Yes Men. Power has shifted back and forth between the Blue Camp and the Green Camp. During the Chen Shui-bian era, cabinet reshuffles were routine. Political appointees were treated like domestics. Political affiliation trumped all. Professionalism was swept away. The Ma administration was unimaginative in its political appointments. It could not decide whether to trust technocrats or academics. Cabinet members were often unclear about the administration's policy direction. Sean Chen however, was a cabinet official capable of both offense and defense. A political appointee able to assume responsibility during a crisis is rare indeed.

Compared to other financial and economic experts in the cabinet, Sean Chen and Central Bank President Perng Huai-nan are more trusted by the public. They are skilled professionals who respect the line between public and private, and who have an easy manner about them. Their reputations are well deserved and were earned over time. Therefore, when they are ordered into battle during a crisis, they have a calming effect. Take the recent stock market crash for example, The TAIEX was dragged down by international panic inspired by the US debt crisis. Taiwan's economic fundamentals are not a problem. But people felt the heat. President Ma's repeated reassurances rang hollow. Sean Chen used government bonds as leverage. He called on banks and corporations holding stocks to support the market. With minimal effort, he stopped the bleeding, He bolstered the confidence of 8 million investors.

The government intervenes in the stock market from time to time, But an intervention as adroit as this is rare. Consider Sean Chen's approach. He did not bang the drums. He did not threaten businesses. He did not disseminate superfluous public propaganda. He quietly noted the underlying trend, He locked onto his target. He waited for the opportunity to strike, Sure enough, his aim was true, He prevented foreign vultures from swooping in. Amidst this international disaster, a shrewd and courageous political appointee successfully dodged a stock market crisis, He did not even need to make use of the national security funds. He has earned our respect.

Besides Sean Chen, a few other political appointees have caught the public eye. The most notable example, is Lee Hong-yuan, who joined the cabinet this spring as Chairman of the Council of Public Works. Immediately upon taking office, he reviewed and canceled unnecessary public construction. He canceled 50 boondoggles in two months. These projects were destined for perpetually unoccupied "Mosquito Hall" status. In an even more proactive move, he launched a plan to remedy land subsidence in the Yunlin and Chaiyi regions. He intends to seal one thousand wells within the decade, in order to prevent the continued subsidence of the high-speed railway, and for that matter, the entire western half of the island.

Interestingly enough, work will conclude on New Year's Day next year. Lee Hong-yuan was originally a fill-in. But for this very reason, he has been able to make full use of his water resources and engineering expertise, He has given new meaning to the job description. Unlike past chairmen, he need fuss over the details or quality of public works. Instead, he can view these projects from a more elevated perspective, and reconsider their necessity, He can confront the land management crisis from the perspective of long term sustainability. The pressure of his short term, has paradoxically enabled him to transcend the constraints of his position. It has enabled him to tackle more urgent problems that confront the nation.

Bureaucratic inertia is inherent in the government's division of labor. Normally, no government agency would take the initiative to highlight problems such as "mosquito halls" and regional subsidence, let alone propose improvements. Normally, by the time a problem becomes known, it is invariably too late. Lee Hong-yuan took the initiative to study the issue. He even provided solutions to each problem. Such courageous political appointees have established a new paradigm. They have provided the cabinet with forward momentum. Lee Hong-yuan's term may be over in only 275 days. But the contribution he has made far exceeds those who merely sit at their desk reviewing documents.

The Executive Yuan has been discussing the tax burden and 12-year compulsory education. Cabinet members have offered different views on these subjects. This is a good sign. From one perspective, the agencies in charge must be able to withstand internal challenges. Only then can they suggest better policies to the public. From another perspective, cabinet members with different professional backgrounds challenging each other, enables them to be less egocentric in their thinking, to learn from each and to think more innovatively. Stirring things up within the cabinet may help reinvigorate it, and win it greater public approval. Premier Wu should encourage these development. He must not deliberately suppress them.

Political appointees on Taiwan have long been subject to political interference and the bureaucratization of the administrative process. Sean Chen, Lee Hong-yuan, and others, represent the emergence of a new breed of political appointee, Their professionalism and courage have provided the cabinet with new drive. The cabinet needs more courageous and prudent cabinet officials, We hope such people will be given more room to develop.

內閣新典型：從陳?到李鴻源
【聯合報╱社論】
2011.08.12 03:16 am

在副閣揆陳?領軍下，政府基金前天適時護盤點火，僅用了區區一百億元的彈藥，即拉升了四百多點指數，使台股率先擺脫國際盤的大崩跌泥淖。從時機、手法和成效看，這都是一次成功的出擊，證明陳?的專業和穩健名不虛傳。

在政治力的過度干預下，多年來，台灣已不容易看到精明幹練又能發揮所長的政務官；大家更常見的，是觀風望向、聽命行事的閣員，在藍綠的潮起潮落中浮沉。陳水扁時代，把內閣改組當成家常便飯，政務官被當成家臣使喚，政治掛帥，專業毀棄。馬政府的用人，在技術官僚與學者之間游移，開創性不強，有些閣員有時連政策都說不清楚；也因此，像陳?這樣能攻能守、臨危堪擔當大任的政務官，實屬難得。

相對於其他財經閣員，陳?和央行總裁彭淮南之所以深受社會信任，主要是他們不僅嫺熟專業，且公私分明，行事穩健圓熟，累積了長期口碑。因此，他們在緊要關頭受命上陣，就能發揮安定人心的作用。以這次股災為例，台股是遭美債引發的國際恐慌所累，並非經濟基本面出了問題；但當火燒眉毛，馬總統的信心喊話已告失靈。陳?以政府基金為槓桿，號召銀行團及企業庫藏股共同護盤，用最小的力氣，止住台股的失血，也穩住了八百萬股民的信心。

政府干預股市時有所聞，但手法像這次這麼乾淨俐落，卻是罕見。觀察陳?的作法，他沒有敲鑼打鼓，沒有向企業威逼利誘，也不向民眾作無謂的喊話；他只是默默觀察盤勢，鎖定目標，伺機發動，果然彈無虛發，也阻止了外資禿鷹趁亂掠奪。在這場國際性的災難中，一個政務官憑其智勇成功征服了股災，甚至未動用到國安基金，值得喝采。

除了陳?，最近人們也看到了一些不一樣的政務官身影。最顯著的例子，是今年春天才加入內閣行列的李鴻源。李鴻源的職務是公共工程會主委，但他一上任，率先執行的任務，卻是檢視並淘汰不必要的公共建設，兩個月即擋下五十多件可能成為「蚊子館」的建設案。他更主動出擊，對雲嘉地層下陷的問題提出搶救計劃，要在十年內封掉千口井，以阻止高鐵乃至整個西部繼續沉陷。

有趣的是，工程會明年元旦即將裁撤，李鴻源入閣原屬過渡；但也正因為如此，他妥善利用自己的水利與工程專才，為這個角色注入截然不同的意義。他不像以往的主委那樣關注公共工程的細節或品質，而以更高的視野去反省這些工程的必要性，同時以永續經營的觀點來面對國土的危機。任期的迫促，反而激發他跨出職務的局限，主動迎戰國家更急切的問題。

試想，若依政府體制的慣性分工，蚊子館的誕生、區域性的地層下陷等問題，幾乎不會有任何單位願主動指出問題，遑論提議改善；俟問題爆發，總是已經太遲。李鴻源不僅主動探討問題，更逐一提供解決對策；如此勇於任事的政務官，除締造了一種新的典型，也為內閣提供了前進的動力。李鴻源的任期雖只有兩百七十多天，但他留下的貢獻，絕對比那些只坐在辦公室批公文的閣員多。

最近，行政院會在討論租稅負擔及十二年國教方案時，都出現了閣員不同意見的交鋒，這是相當可喜的現象。從一方面看，主管部會要禁得起內部的挑戰，才可能向人民提出更完善的政策；從另一方面看，不同專業的閣員相互質疑、切磋，有助於活化決策思維，祛除本位主義。內閣這樣的激盪效應，其實比起死氣沉沉的虛假和諧更能贏得社會迴響；吳揆應該多加鼓勵，而不必刻意抑制。

在台灣政務官因政治干預而走向「行政官僚化」後，如今陳?和李鴻源等新類型政務官的出現，以專業和膽識為內閣注入了新的動力。內閣需要更多這樣有勇有謀的閣員，也期待這樣的人才得到更大的發揮空間。