TRAVEL BONUS SHOULD BE USED ON DOMESTIC GROUP TOURS|明年起國旅卡 8千元限用於團體旅遊

On Dec. 22, the Executive Yuan announced that starting from Jan. 2017, public servants who are given an NT$16,000 Citizen Travel Card, should use half of their travel bonus on domestic group tours. The new measure is expected to generate NT$10.8 billion in the travel industry. However, public servants criticized that it will deprive them of their freedom to choose where to travel. Some legislators worried that the new measure will only profit certain travel agencies, and exclude other traveling businesses. Taiwan continues to see a decline in Chinese tourists. To save the travel industry, on Dec. 22, the Executive Yuan announced that starting from Jan. 2017, public servants who are given an NT$16,000 Citizen Travel Card after working for three years should use half of their travel bonus, NT$ 8,000, on domestic group tours. The new measure is expected to generate NT$10.8 billion. ==CHOU YUNG-HUI, Tourism Bureau Director-General== We estimated that the new measure will create NT$870 million in tourism revenue, which is three times more than before. The new measure sparked criticism from public servants. They said that they have no reason to hold responsible for the government's mistakes. ==LI LAI-HSI, National Civil Servant Association Director== First, public servants are required to attend group tours held by governmental departments. They have to travel with their supervisors. Do you mean that public servants are there to carry luggage for their supervisors? I think they need be away from their supervisors to have a leisure time. Second, public servants are required to attend bus tours. Is Taiwan's economy so bad that the government has to set such a set such a restriction? Usage restrictions on the travel bonus breed new problems. For example, an open bid is required if the number of public servants attending the tour held by governmental departments reaches a certain threshold. Moreover, police and firefighters, who cannot arrange their working schedule freely, may have difficulty attending group tours. Some legislators worried that the new measure will only profit certain travel agencies, and exclude other traveling businesses. ==CHEN SU-YUEH, DPP legislator == Since shopping expenses will decrease, I think that the new measure is just robbing Peter to pay Paul. DPP legislator thinks that the new measure is of little help in boosting domestic travel. She suggested that the government should make alternative plans that have more flexibility. TRANSLATED BY：ARIEL HSIEH 陸客來台人數直直落，旅遊業叫苦連天，為了救觀光，行政院把腦筋動到公務員身上，今天在院會拍板定板，明年一月份起，工作年滿3年，能領得1萬6千元國民旅遊卡補助的公務員，必須將其中8千元，用在各機關自辦旅遊或是自行參加旅行團，預估能帶動108億商機。 ==交通部觀光局長 周永暉== 我們投入的部份 帶動相關的產值部份 我們有計算一下 大概可以達到8.7億 這樣算的話 大概有3倍的效果 只能跟團不能自由行，卻引發許多公務員不滿，痛批是國家政策出問題，卻叫軍公教人員來承受。 ==全國公務員協會理事長 李來希== 他必須參加機關團體辦的團體 跟長官去旅遊 請問你是去幫長官提皮包嗎 就是要脫離長官 才能夠休閒嘛 第二個 要參加觀光巴士團 我們台灣的經濟真的需要到 這樣管制性的經濟 限縮人民消費的權利嗎 限制國旅卡使用，衍生的問題不少，像是各機關，要自辦旅遊，人多一點，可能就要進行招標，另外，像公務繁忙的警消人員，可能排不出時間跟團旅遊，等於享受不到8千元補助，連自家民進黨立委也擔心，國旅卡新制，恐怕會獨厚旅行社，卻排擠到其他觀光消費。 ==民進黨立委 陳素月== 這會同時減少購買東西的消費 所以我覺得這樣的做法 只是把這個錢 從這裡 搬到那裡用而已 挖東牆補西牆這樣而已 政府要拿國旅卡補助，來填補陸客觀光缺口，陳素月認為，可能效益不大，建議規劃彈性方案，否則觀光漏洞沒補足，還加深公務員埋怨。 記者 蔡慧玲 陳信隆 台北報導