Taipei City Councilor Criticizes Over 100 Trips to Japan in 10 Years, City Government Pledges Stricter Review
Taipei City Councilor You Shu-hui criticized the Taipei City Government for spending over NT$50 million on more than 100 inspection trips to Japan over the past decade, citing questionable objectives and lack of implementation. The city government, through Secretary-General Wang Yu-fen, responded by promising stricter review and consolidation of future overseas trips. Personnel Department Director Chang Tsui-chuan and Research, Development and Evaluation Commission Chairman Yin Wei also stated that they would improve administrative efficiency and transparency through the establishment of review principles for travel plans and regular random checks of travel reports.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 13, 2026 at 18:29
- 🔍 Collected: April 13, 2026 at 19:01 (32 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 13, 2026 at 21:22 (2h 20m after Collected)
Taipei City Councilor You Shu-hui highlighted during a city council interpellation that various departments of the Taipei City Government have made over 100 inspection trips to Japan in the last 10 years, costing approximately NT$50 million. She questioned the effectiveness and relevance of several trips, including the Department of Rapid Transit Systems' visit to study elderly-friendly metro facilities (which haven't been implemented), Taipei City Hospital's study on home dental and swallowing therapy (not promoted domestically), former Mayor Ko Wen-je's trip to Okinawa for EasyCard payment operations (not widely adopted), the Department of Finance and Tax Administration's study on carbon tax and trading (local government lacks authority), and the Zhongshan Hall's study on public hall restoration (no restoration plan). You Shu-hui emphasized that inspections should not be for tourism or rewards but for practical application. In response, Secretary-General Wang Yu-fen stated that future overseas travel budgets will undergo more rigorous review, including checking for similar past trips and consolidating itineraries. Personnel Department Director Chang Tsui-chuan added that initial review principles for overseas travel plans were established last year, and guidelines were issued in August 2023, requiring alignment with the mayor's policies and retrospective review of the past three years' plans. Research, Development and Evaluation Commission Chairman Yin Wei mentioned that a new system involves regular random checks of overseas travel reports to ensure compliance and identify innovations.