Living a simple and thrifty life

The approval ratings of both President Ma Ying-jeou and Liu Chao-shiuan have been affected by the price increases. The government must redouble its efforts to stabilize prices or face stronger criticism from the public. As we have emphasized in these columns, President Ma and his men should not be intoxicated by the landslide victory they won in the presidential election. The honeymoon is over and they must devote themselves wholeheartedly to the challenge of solving economic problems.

On the other hand, the general public should be aware of their own duty in keeping prices stable and making ends meet.

There is a growing awareness among the Taiwan public that adopting a new lifestyle is necessary to combat inflation and keep the wolf from the door. It is imperative to adjust one’s spending habits.

More and more people have come to realize this need and are altering their lifestyle. The most conspicuous change has been in the transportation sector. Use of the MRT system in the Greater Taipei region has increased. Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin’s policy of giving price discounts to MRT customers using electronic EasyCards starting on June 1st sharply boosted the number of MRT rides by 600,000 last month. City councilors have urged the city administration to extend the incentive measure, scheduled to end on Aug. 31.

The traffic flow on the long-distance freeway networks showed a steep decline of 12 percent as the number of motorists dropped to 41.35 million in June from 46.9 million in the corresponding month of 2007.

Officials at the Ministry of Transportation and Communications estimated that the toll revenues from motorists would decrease by about NT$1.5 billion this year. They said the consistently rising fuel costs have caused car drivers to leave their vehicles at home and to take public transportation instead.

People riding motorcycles or scooters are also on the rise, although manufacturers are also planning new price hikes. Close to 30 percent of people in the Taipei area are now using scooters for everyday transportation.

More people are trying to save money by buying at shopping malls or superstores, where prices are generally lower than in department or convenience stores.

Unlike the former government that steadfastly froze fuel prices to avoid offending consumers, the new government implemented a different policy of applying the free market mechanism with supplementary measures to reduce the negative impact. Among other measures, it offers deeper discounts on electricity bills for households and businesses that show reduced power consumption from a year earlier.

This policy will supposedly encourage people to avoid wasting electricity and save energy. How successful it will be remains to be seen.

All in all, our people must re-embrace the traditional virtues of thrift and diligence. These qualities have been long forgotten. During the past few decades the people of Taiwan have been basking in abundance and affluence.

In his book “Walden,” the famous American author Henry David Thoreau, whose writings have influenced many politicians and philosophers, urged people to live a simple life.

“In short,” Thoreau wrote, “I am convinced, both by faith and experience, that to maintain one’s self on this earth is not a hardship but a pastime, if we will live simply and wisely.”

Those words of wisdom should be an inspiration to a people who are used to living an extravagant lifestyle.

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