TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) will receive a monthly salary, a security detail, free healthcare, and other perks when she steps down as president in May.
Tsai will step down after reaching Taiwan's two-term presidential limit. Lai Ching-te (賴清德) was elected president on Jan. 13, securing a third term for Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and upon his inauguration, perks provided to ex-presidents under Taiwan law will come into effect.
In addition to enjoying “invitations to major national ceremonies,” ex-presidents receive a monthly salary of NT$250,000 (about US$7,960) per month that continues for the same length of time that the president spent in office. For Tsai, her eight years will net her NT$24 million in “courtesy payments.”
In addition, Tsai will receive an NT$8 million payment for staff and an office in the first year, which will be reduced by NT$1 million per year until the fifth year. After that, it will be capped at NT$5 million for the remainder of the eight years of payments.
Tsai will also be provided with a team of eight to 12 security guards from the National Security Bureau (NSB). Tsai’s security detail is named “Yonghe (永和),” as is her residence, following the naming convention that adopts the name of a president’s hometown or suburb.
Meanwhile, Tsai’s predecessor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) will lose his “Zhongxing (中興)” security team in May. Like Tsai, Ma served two four-year terms as president, meaning his post-presidency perks will expire when Lai takes office.
Ma Ying-jeou is pictured with security behind him. (CNA photo)
The Liberty Times reported that when Ma’s NSB security detail is disbanded, responsibility for protecting the former president’s safety and residence will be handed over to the police department.
Former vice presidents are also entitled to similar post-office perks, including a monthly salary and security detail. However, former Vice President Lai, who will earn about NT$500,000 per month after he is inaugurated, will not be eligible for these perks.
According to the regulation, former holders of political offices are no longer eligible to receive the perks if they serve again in another public office. They also lose the perks if they lose their citizenship, emigrate permanently, or commit “offenses of insurrection or foreign aggression.”
The payments for former Taiwan presidents are significantly less than that of some other countries' former presidents. According to recent estimates, former U.S. presidents receive government payments of about NT$600,000 per month for life, in addition to security and other staff.
