Delayed Price Hikes Will Only Invite Harsher Criticism

Delayed Price Hikes Will Only Invite Harsher Criticism
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
April 11, 2012

Summary: Gasoline and electricity price hikes and general price inflation are exerting pressure on the government. President Ma Ying-jeou, who is currently visiting our African allies, held a press conference, during which he quoted the late President Chiang Ching-kuo, "Inaction today means regrets tomorrow." He stressed the need to be prepared, to stand behind the Executive Yuan, and to be prepared for the flak directed at him. The government can do it, and is resolved to do it. But besides taking flak from the outside, government ministries must also support the administration's policies. They must minimize the inevitable public grievances.

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Gasoline and electricity price hikes and general price inflation are exerting pressure on the government. President Ma Ying-jeou, who is currently visiting our African allies, held a press conference, during which he quoted the late President Chiang Ching-kuo, "Inaction today means regrets tomorrow." He stressed the need to be prepared, to stand behind the Executive Yuan, and to be prepared for the flak directed at him. The government can do it, and is resolved to do it. But besides taking flak from the outside, government ministries must also support the administration's policies. They must minimize the inevitable public grievances.

Taiwan is a democracy. Frequent elections, large and small, make the government susceptible to public pressure. Over the next two years, no elections are scheduled. The government should be able to ignore political demagoguery and do the things it failed to do over the past few years. Two years ago, legislators passed a resolution on whether to hike or freeze the price of gasoline and electricity. It forced the government to squander tax money subsidizing underpriced gasoline. These subsidies were underwritten by the taxpayers. They benefitted the largest users of gasoline and electricity. This was utterly inconsistent with social justice. Most people do not understand the irrationality of government subsidies for gasoline and electricity. But the government and Big Business understand only too well. Global crude oil prices are soaring. The global political situation is precarious. Pressure from rising gasoline prices has not eased. There are even signs of further deterioration. Therefore the government cannot delay price hikes indefinitely.

Rising gasoline and electricity prices are not just the government's problem. They are everyone's problems. As President Ma noted, the government has made some carbone reduction commitments to the international community that are going to be difficult to meet. Taiwan is no longer an economic entity the global economy can ignore. If the government fails to do an adequate job, it Is likely to become the target of international retaliation, even the target of sanctions. The public finds it easy to recite mantras about environmentalism and saving the planet. But carbon reduction cannot remain a mere slogan. It must become a responsibility the public is willing to assume. As long as we save electricity and save gasoline, gasoline and electricity price hikes can be delayed.

Gasoline and electricity prices must be hiked. Water prices are also too low. A price hike for water is long overdue. Minister of the Interior Hong Yuan-lee put it bluntly. The price of water must also be hiked. But whether the price of water is hiked, the public must continue conserving water.

China Petroleum has been criticized for many years. The current price hikes offer a rare opportunity to address problems with Taipower personnel performance. Take a random example. The Ministry of Economic Affairs has already ordered China Petroleum and Taipower to reduce transactional costs and procurement costs. Personnel costs must be lower than they were over the past three years. They must effectively control personnel costs. Even high-level officials may no longer ride business class. Special privileges for China Petroleum and Taipower employees may be abolished. They must save at least $2.5 billion per year. Even more meaningful measures must be implemented. In the past China Petroleum, Taipower, and other state-owned enterprises had to cope with a variety of "good neighbor" demands from elected representatives. Wang Ying-chieh, chief representative of the Petroleum Business Improvement Team, recently met with TaiPower and China Petroleum. Wang spoke frankly. saying this practice must be abolished. State-owned enterprises must be able to stand tall and say no to elected representatives and to demands for subsidies by local governments. Ruling and opposition legislators must not be permitted to denounce price hikes even as they demand special privileges. As the ruling party. the KMT must take the lead in persuading legislators to divest themselves of their old habits. Otherwise state-owned enterprises should be required to disclose which legislators demanded so-called "good neighbor" treatment, and the sums involved. This will enable the public to know which legislators exerted undue pressure.

The government is a unified entity. The Central Government is calling for price hikes. But it is making a concerted effort to resist price hikes. Taichung Mayor Jason Hu hopes to set up an anti-price hike connection. This does not mean it is singing a different tune than the Central Government. The Central Government has its policies. It has a set of universal standards applicable to all. Use less electricity and your electricty rates will be lower. Use more electricty and your electricity rates will be higher. Local governments can implement the same effective energy-saving measures. They can even rally the public and urge them to resist the price hikes. For the big box stores, the smaller the price hikes, the greater the sales volume. This is advantageousl to revenues. People must learn to care more. They must minimize the impact of price hikes.

This time the presidential and legislative elections were held simultaneously. A four month gap separates the election and May 20. These four months leave little time to waste. The major issues were decided before May 20th. But public approval of the Ma administration and the cabinet have fallen sharply. The opposition even doubts Sean Chen's ability to remain in office until May 20. Fortunately President Ma and Premier Chen are psychologically prepared for the fickleness of public opinion. The less President Ma is afraid of poll numbers before May 20, the day of his official inauguration, the more the government will have the guts to do the right thing. With the support of the President, the Chen cabinet should not to shrink from doing the the right thing, We ask only that they proceed with speed and efficiency, They must not delay their decision-making. As long as the government is confident, it can restore public confidence.

Inaction today means regrets tomorrow. It means one will be criticized even more harshly later on. As a democratically elected president serving his second term, President Ma is playing his proper role. He now realizes that blindly currying favor with the public is not what a government should do. On the contrary, "If I am criticized, I am willing to to accept it. Because that was my role to begin with." That is how political leaders should lead. President Ma is now prepared. The Chen Cabinet should have a running start.

中時電子報 新聞
中國時報 　2012.04.11
社論－今天不漲 未來會被罵更慘
本報訊

    　面對油電雙漲，萬物齊漲的壓力，出訪非洲邦交國的馬英九總統在海外隨行記者會上，引用故總統蔣經國先生的名言，「現在不做，明天會後悔」，強調自己做好準備，力挺行政院，戴起鋼盔挨罵也要做。有能力有魄力的政府就該如此，但除了挨罵之外，政府各部會都該做好相應的配套措施，把必然發生的民怨降到最低。

    　台灣是民主社會，頻繁的大小選舉，讓政府受困於民意壓力，未來兩年沒有選舉，正可以擺脫政治口水，整理整理這幾年該做而未做的事。兩年前，立委提案通過油價緩漲或凍漲決議，讓政府花大筆稅金，補貼該漲而未漲的油價，某種程度是慷納稅人之慨，補貼油電大戶，根本不符合社會公平正義。一般人可能無法體會政府補貼油電的不合理，但政府和大企業主最清楚；尤其國際原油價格不斷飆升，國際政治形勢險峻，油價續攀新高的壓力始終無法緩解，甚至有惡化的跡象。在這種情況下，政府不可能無止境的緩漲、凍漲。

    　事實上，油電雙漲不只是政府的問題，而是全民都要面對的課題。誠如馬總統所言，台灣對國際社會許下的減碳承諾標準很高，不是這麼容易達成，但是，台灣不再是當年可以被國際忽略的經濟體，如果沒做好，很可能成為國際報復、甚至制裁的對象。當全民琅琅上口環保救地球的時候，節能減碳就不能只是掛在嘴邊的口號，而應該是全民身體力行的行動，只要節電、省油，油電雙漲壓力就可以相對減緩。

    　除了油電之外，台灣還有一項最便宜且早該調漲的水價。內政部長李鴻源就直言，水價也該調漲，但不論水價是否相應調整，民眾還是要做到習慣節水。

    　而在這一波漲價浪潮，被詬病多年的中油、台電人事經營績效也有機會一次到位的解決。隨便舉例，經濟部已經下令要求中油、台電減少事務性費用、降低採購成本、用人費率必須低於前三年，以有效管控人事成本，甚至高層出差禁搭商務艙，同時不排除將中油、台電員工優惠全面取消，至少要做到年省一百廿五億。更有意義的是，過去中油、台電等國營事業，都得應付來自民代「敦親睦鄰」的各種需索；出席台電、中油經營改善小組會議的商總代表王應傑直言應予排除；各國營事業都該挺起腰桿，杜絕民代的關說施壓和地方補助，不能讓朝野立委前腳罵漲，背後卻需索無度。做為執政黨，國民黨尤其應該帶頭要求立委革除舊習，否則應要求國營事業全面公布所謂「敦親睦鄰」的預算與關說立委的名單，讓全民知道哪些立委不當施壓。

    　同樣的，政府是一體的，中央喊漲，但要齊心抗漲，台中市長胡志強領軍要成立「抗漲」連線，不必視為和中央唱反調，中央有中央的政策，是一套全民適用的標準，用電少漲價少，用電多漲價自然就高；地方政府同樣可以做到有效節電，甚至號召民間一起抗漲。以大賣場而言，漲價少，產品銷量反而高，對營收來說有利無弊。民眾也必須學會斤斤計較，讓漲價風在實際的經營壓力下影響降到最低。

    　這一次總統與立委合併選舉，選舉後到五二○的空窗期長達四個月，這四個月卻一點時間都不能浪費；儘管因為各項重大議題都搶在五二○前舖排以及定案，讓馬政府與陳內閣的民調聲望大幅下滑，反對黨甚至質疑陳?院長能否留任到五二○。還好不論是馬總統或陳院長，都對民意起伏有心理準備，馬總統愈不害怕五二○正式就職前的民調數字，就愈能給政府充分的信心做對的事。有了總統的支持，陳內閣更不必畏首畏尾，所有該做的事，只能要求速度和效率，萬萬不可再拖延不決，只要政府有信心，民眾自然會恢復信心。

    　今天不做，明天會後悔，未來會被罵得更慘。身為第二任的民選總統，馬總統顯然對自己該扮演的角色，已完全體會，一味討好民眾不是效能政府該做的事；相反的，「我挨罵了，我願意承受，因為我的角色本來就該承受這些。」這正是政治領袖應有的領導風格，馬總統既已做足準備，陳內閣就該開始全力衝刺。