COUNCILORS RESIGN IN PROTEST AT NON OWNER-OCCUPIED PROPERTY TAX CUT|不滿非自住屋稅率調降 竹縣兩議員請辭

Although the tax rate for non-owner-occupied residential houses was raised last year, Hsinchu County Council passed a bill to lower the tax rate on May 4. The decision prompted the two councilors who proposed to increase the tax rate to announce their resignation on the same day. Supporters showed up at Councilor Kao Wei-kai and Councilor Chou Chiang-chieh's office to sign petitions. The two councilors announced their resignation to protest against the county council's decision to terminate their bill that raises the tax rate for non-owner-occupied residential houses, which took effect last July. ==SUPPORTER== We don't want them to resign. We hope that they continue to voice for the people. Chou stated that he devoted himself to politics because he wanted to seek justice, but he was disappointed by those who sided with the enterprises; hence his decision to resign to protest against the termination of his bill. ==CHOU CHIANG-CHIEH Hsinchu County Councilor, Green Party Taiwan== A tax cut of 47% for 3/10,000 of the people. It's just too far away from the equality and justice that we seek. ==KAO WEI-KAI Hsinchu County Councilor, Labor Party== The tax cut will give away more than NT$70 million, and more than 40% of which, or more than NT$30 million, will be enjoyed by 165 developers. We hope that our resignation can draw more people's attention to this issue. We apologize for not being able to complete the four-year term. Taiwan has never before see councilors resign for failing to uphold their commitment. As the two councilors represent two minority parties, their decision has put their parties in a difficult place. The GPT stands by Chou and also urges more people to voice the support for him. ==YANG CHING-CHIH, Hsinchu County Councilor, KMT== By lowering the tax rate to 1.6%, we can fulfill tax equality and justice. 18 councilors and I, which is 19 councilors, have signed it before making the proposal. Councilors who made the proposal believed that the new bill mainly affects developers and investors with more than three houses, as the tax rate for non-owner-occupied houses in Hsinchu County is still higher than that in most parts of Taiwan, where owners with less than three houses are taxed at 1.2%, and only those with more than four houses are taxed for non-owner-occupied houses. Translated By LUKE CHIANG 新竹縣議會昨天通過國民黨議員所提的非自住房屋徵收稅率調降案，引發矚目的是，當初提出差別稅率的勞動黨議員高偉凱與綠黨議員周江杰，因此宣布辭去議員，他們強調投入政治，就是要追求公平正義，兩人因為無法實踐理念而請辭，也成為台灣地方制度史上的首例 為了慰留高偉凱與周江杰兩位議員，一大早，服務處門口就擠滿了支持群眾簽名連署，還掛起了布條，而讓這兩位議員宣布請辭的原因，就是因為新竹縣議會刪除了去年7月起，提高非自用房屋稅率的提案，改為調降到單一稅率1.6%，讓當初提案差別稅率的他們，憤而請辭。 ==支持民眾== 我們選民不要他們辭職 我們選民希望他們繼續 來為我們人民打拚 儘管選民強力慰留，但周江杰說，投入政治，就是要追求公平正義，提案希望能解決問題，更批評部分議員及縣府向財團靠攏，努力建立的制度被擱置，屈原有勇氣投江，他只能隨法案而去。 ==綠黨新竹縣議員 周江杰== 刪減了47%的稅收 這是針對萬分之3的民眾 實踐的公平與正義 實在是差距非常大 ==勞動黨新竹縣議員 高偉凱== 被減了7千多萬的稅裡面 165家建商可以享受其中到40幾% 3千多萬的減稅優惠 所以我們希望透過辭職這個大動作 來讓更多民眾關心這個問題 四年沒有做好做滿 我們在這裡跟大家道歉 高偉凱與周江杰因為無法實踐理念而請辭，可說是台灣地方制度史上的首例，再加上他們是少數政黨取得議會席次的代表，這次決定與舊法案同進退，也讓綠黨感到為難，因為他們支持周江杰堅守立場的態度，但也希望更多人站出來，聲援周江杰。 ==國民黨新竹縣議員 趙一先== 勸他還是三思 還是要留下來 為我們新竹的鄉親來服務 ==國民黨新竹縣議員 楊敬賜== 降到1.6 符合我們所有 這個租稅的公平正義 我們議會也連署了18個　 包括我19個議員 共同連署提出這個案子 議員要慰留聲音不少，但也有提案議員認為，新竹縣非自住房屋稅率，降到1.6%，還是比外縣市高，比較其他縣市，基本上三戶以下視為自用住宅稅率多為1.2%，第四五戶才視為非自用住宅，而台北市目前規定2戶以下2.4%，3戶以上3.6%，稅率全台最高不過新法案對一般民眾影響不大，主要受影響者為建商和擁有三房以上的投資客。 記者 綜合報導