Taipei City Councilor Criticizes Over 100 Trips to Japan in 10 Years, City Government Pledges Stricter Review

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.