Following media reports questioning the need for confidentiality on a labor assessment report, Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) reassured the public that there were no procedural irregularities during an interview on Wednesday.
Transportation Minister Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) previously announced that initial plans are in the works for opening up the hospitality sector to migrant workers to address labor shortages. An impact assessment report was later sent to the Labor Ministry but was labeled as “classified”, raising questions about the lack of transparency. The Labor Ministry has since requested the Transportation Ministry to declassify the report to allow for further evaluation by experts and scholars and avoid any misinterpretation of the process.
Chen adds the government is mindful of the labor shortage and has taken relevant measures to expand employment programs and provide subsidies to encourage the older population to rejoin the workforce. He says that each person can receive up to NT$100,000 (US$3,168) per year. Chen hopes that businesses in the hospitality industry would be open to employing the older generation to address the labor shortage as well.