The Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA; Chinese: 數位發展部; pinyin: Shùwèi Fāzhǎn Bù) is a cabinet-level governmental body of Taiwan, in charge of all policy and regulation of information, telecommunications, communications, information security, and the internet in Taiwan.
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the Organization Act of the Ministry of Digital Affairs in December 2021.[9][10][11] By March 2022, Kuo Yau-hwang had been replaced by Audrey Tang.[12] She was heavily involved in setting up the Ministry of Digital Affairs,[13] and was duly appointed the agency's founding minister.[14] The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]
The ministry is headed by a minister, two political deputy ministers, one administrative deputy minister, and one chief secretary.
Political Party: Kuomintang Non-partisan/ unknown Democratic Progressive Party
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.