And the Tourism Bureau is not the only government agency getting an upgrade. The Central Weather Bureau has been upgraded to the Central Weather Administration, which will continue to improve its monitoring and forecasting technology, while providing meteorological information to different sectors. It will also collaborate on plans for national weather policies, response measures to climate change and initiatives to boost the resilience of related industries. Transport minister Wang Kwo-tsai attended the plaque unveiling ceremony for the upgraded body on Friday.
Wang Kwo-Tsai
Transport minister
It’s been upgraded to the Central Weather Administration, but the staff size won’t be increased. The agency’s structure has been simplified and strengthened. The most important thing is we’re dealing with the digital transformation, and a lot of this change comes from new technology and equipment. What I’m referring to is super computers and the facilities of weather stations; the transport ministry will throw its full support behind getting this technology. As for the lower salaries of public servants, this is a problem in most government agencies. I’ve seen a lot of our forecasters being poached by TV stations. So, in terms of significantly raising salaries in the future, our Department of Personnel will probably do some planning to deal with this issue.
There’s been a lot of talk about weather forecasters being given more duties without any increase in their pay, and even contract forecasters have lower wages than public servants. Wang emphasized that the ministry look into the possibility of significantly raising salaries, as he hopes to keep talented forecasters in the CWA instead of being lured away by the private sector.
｜Taiwan News
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