Taipei City Government

At the invitation of the Journalist magazine, Mayor Ko Wen-je addressed the audience at the company’s 30th anniversary celebration on April 9.
During his speech, the mayor talked about some of the core values of city administration and how they were implemented in the form of concrete policies. He insisted that remaining true to the values is more important than the policies.
Setting forth his vision of transforming Taipei into a city with innovative developments, Ko hopes that the actions of his administrative team will be able to change Taipei and Taiwan. He concluded his speech by noting that human beings are great because of the dreams they possess, and the only difference between success and failure is one’s will.
The mayor emphasized the values of honesty, openness, sharing, innovation, and teamwork. Placing utmost importance on the virtues of honesty and integrity, the mayor remarked that there is nothing that angers him more than applying for additional budget. He believes that such action is leaving debts for future generations. After reprimanding several staff members who propose such actions, no one dares to bring up this issue again. It has saved roughly NT$50 billion for the city coffer in the past two years.
Speaking about his recent trip to Southeast Asia, the mayor remarked that upon his return, he realized that there are many values of Taiwan which we should be proud of: freedom, democracy, diversity, and openness. What we take for granted in our daily life may be subjects of envy for other countries. Yet, he also pointed out several hazards, such as the rule of law, lack of spirit in public service, lack of logical reasoning, and fear of innovation.
Ko stressed that as a sea-faring nation, adventure and risk-taking should be Taiwan’s core values. Only by advancing without fear of setbacks can the country succeed. The only difference between success and failure is the will.