Ministry of Digital Affairs (Taiwan)

The Ministry of Digital Affairs (Chinese: 數位發展部; pinyin: Shùwèi Fāzhǎn Bù) is a cabinet-level governmental body of the Republic of China (Taiwan), in charge of all policy and regulation of information, telecommunications, communications, information security, and the internet in Taiwan.

Ministry of Digital Affairs
數位發展部
Agency overview
Formed27 August 2022
JurisdictionGovernment of the Republic of China
Headquarters143 Yanping S. Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei
Minister responsible
Deputy Minister responsible
  • Chiueh Herming, Lee Huai-jen (political), Yeh Ning (administrative), Deputy minister
Websitemoda.gov.tw

Background

Following the passage of an amendment to the Organizational Act of the Executive Yuan in 2010, the number of agencies within the Executive Yuan was to be reduced from 37 to 29.[1] This included the transfer of some duties from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the National Communications Commission to what would become the Ministry of Digital Affairs.[2][3] The Ministry of Digital Affairs assumed oversight of select portfolios from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Executive Yuan's Department of Cyber Security as well.[4] These included government information security, digital services and data management, alongside the development of industries related to the digital economy.[1] The digital ministry's duties were to integrate and develop policy for telecommunication, information, cybersecurity, the Internet and communication industries. The agency was also responsible for maintenance and management of digital resources and infrastructure, and expected to foster a positive environment for the development of new technologies.[5][6]

The Executive Yuan declared the founding of a digital development ministry a legislative priority in February 2021.[7] By March, assorted amendments had been proposed for legislative review and minister without portfolio Kuo Yau-hwang was selected convenor of the digital ministry's preparatory office.[8] The Legislative Yuan approbated the establishment of the Ministry of Digital Affairs by passing an amendment to the National Communications Commission Organization Act and approving the Organization Act of the Ministry of Digital Affairs in December 2021.[9][10][11] By March 2022, Kuo Yau-hwang had been replaced by Audrey Tang.[12] She was heavily involved in setting up the Ministry of Digital Affairs,[13] and was duly appointed the agency's founding minister.[14] The Ministry of Digital Affairs was inaugurated on 27 August 2022.[9][5] The Organization Act for the Ministry of Digital Affairs limits the ministry to 598 employees.[5]

Organization

The ministry is headed by a minister, two political deputy ministers, one administrative deputy minister, and one chief secretary.

Implementation units
  • Department of Digital Strategy
  • Department of Communications and Cyber Resilience
  • Department of Resource Management
  • Department of Digital Service
  • Department of Democracy Network
  • Department of Plural Innovation

Subordinate agencies and non-departmental public bodies
  • Administration for Cyber Security
  • Administration for Digital Industries
  • Institute for Information Industry
  • Telecom Technology Center
  • Taiwan Network Information Center
  • National Institute for Cyber Security[15]

List of ministers
Audrey Tang, first Minister of Digital Affairs, pictured in 2021

Political Party:   Kuomintang   Non-partisan/ unknown   Democratic Progressive Party

No. Name Portrait Term of office Days Party Cabinet
1 Audrey Tang (唐鳳)27 August 2022incumbent427IndependentSu Tseng-chang II
Chen Chien-jen

References
  1. Lee, Hsin-fan (19 October 2020). "New ministry nearing approval". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  2. Chung, Jake (14 July 2022). "NCC passes act for 5G network investments". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  3. Shan, Shelley (7 May 2021). "NCC outlines digital act progress". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  4. Chen, Yu-fu; Hetherington, William (17 November 2020). "LY committee freezes NT$400m of budget on eIDs". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  5. Su, Ssi-yun; Lai, Yu-chen; Shih, Hsiu-chuan (27 August 2022). "President Tsai inaugurates new Ministry of Digital Affairs". Central News Agency. Retrieved 27 August 2022. While it is still unclear what specific projects will be overseen by the new ministry, Tsai named data integration, telecommunication, digital technology, cyber security, internet development, talent cultivation, and innovation as some of the policy areas the ministry would be responsible for. The ministry is expected to provide digital solutions to support small and medium-sized enterprises -- which make up 90 percent of Taiwan's businesses -- and improve cyber security capacity in response to "omnipresent threats" in the rapidly evolving digital world, according to Tsai. ... In accordance with the Organization Act for the Ministry of Digital Affairs, which was enacted by the Legislature in December last year, the ministry's personnel size is capped at 598, including 300 positions for those from outside the civil service.
  6. Lee, Hsin-fang; Liu, Tzu-hsuan (4 June 2022). "Tang preparing for digital ministry launch next month". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  7. Lee, Hsin-fang; Chung, Jake (26 February 2021). "Cabinet details priority bills for legislative term". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  8. "Taiwan aiming to set up ministry of digital development next year". Central News Agency. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022. Republished as: Lee, Hsin-fang; Chin, Jonathan (26 March 2021). "Cabinet approves draft amendments to set up ministry of digital development". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  9. Lai, Yu-chen; Shih, Hsiu-chuan (5 August 2022). "Minister Without Portfolio Audrey Tang to head new digital ministry". Central News Agency. Retrieved 8 August 2022. Republished as: "Digital affairs ministry to be launched on Aug. 27". Taipei Times. 6 August 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  10. "Legislature approves plan to establish digital development ministry". Central News Agency. 28 December 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022. Republished as: "CYBERSTRATEGY: Legislature approves plan to launch digital ministry". Taipei Times. 30 December 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  11. Lee, Hsin-fan (3 January 2022). "KMT filing to delay full operations of new digital ministry". Taipei Times. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  12. Strong, Matthew (5 March 2022). "Taiwan puts Audrey Tang in charge of digital affairs ministry project". Taiwan News. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  13. Strong, Matthew (18 June 2022). "Taiwan to launch Ministry of Digital Affairs in August". Taiwan News. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  14. Huang, Tzu-ti (5 August 2022). "Audrey Tang tapped as head of Taiwan's new digital ministry". Taiwan News. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  15. Strong, Matthew. "Taiwan National Institute of Cyber Security appoints president". taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
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