MND censured for inability to get compensation from school dropouts
ROC Central News Agency
2010/09/23 21:52:17
Taipei, Sept. 23 (CNA) The watchdog Control Yuan censured the Ministry of National Defense (MND) Thursday for its poor efficiency in securing compensation from military school dropouts.
Until recently, students attending military academies and preparatory schools would have their tuition fees paid for them and they would also be given stipends to cover their living expenses. Dropouts, however, would be expected to repay this money.
According to an MND report issued in late 2003, there was NT$1.1 billion (US$34.38 million) in unpaid compensation from such dropouts, according to the watchdog body that monitors the civil service.
The uncollected amount was still as much as NT$1.16 billion at the end of 2008, with 5,136 military dropouts having failed to repay their education fees and living stipends, the Control Yuan said.
"Investigations show that the annual collection rate ranged between 3.02 percent and 5.36 percent during the five-year period, " the Control Yuan said in its censure. "This ratio is unacceptable because it reflects the ministry's poor efficiency and its incompetence."
Equally disappointing was that the ministry's annual success rate in making compensation claims was lower than 4 percent, the Control Yuan said.
Worse still, it added, about NT$400 million of the unpaid compensation will never be collected because of the expiration of a 15-year time limit on making claims, the loss of relevant files or documents and various other reasons. (By Sophie Yeh and Sofia Wu) ENDITEM/J
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