The 2026 Taiwan Nine-in-One local elections in the Republic of China are approaching. On September 10, Premier Cho Jung-tai presided over a public security meeting, emphasizing the importance of maintaining law and order before the elections. He called on authorities such as prosecutors, police, investigation agencies, and anti-corruption agencies to intensify efforts to combat bribery and violence. The Premier also stressed the need to prevent interference from foreign forces, election betting, and dissemination of false information that could compromise the neutrality and integrity of the elections.
The 2026 Taiwan Nine-in-One elections and nationwide referendum are scheduled to take place on November 28. Premier Cho Jung-tai stated during the public security meeting that various large-scale campaign events, promotional activities, election rallies, as well as essential electoral tasks such as drawing ballot numbers and policy statements, will soon commence. To ensure pre-election security, he urged law enforcement agencies to prepare actively.
Premier Cho Jung-tai instructed the relevant agencies to step up efforts in combating corruption and violence, while also guarding against foreign influences, election betting activities, and misinformation that might interfere with the fairness and outcome of the elections. He emphasized the importance of gathering intelligence, enhancing coordination among agencies, and intensifying collaborative efforts to ensure a fair, just, and transparent election process and results, aiming to safeguard the democratic outcome and lead the country in the right direction.
The Anti-Fraud Command Center established by the Executive Yuan has reached its 2nd anniversary. Premier Cho Jung-tai mentioned that compared to two years ago, the number of reported telecommunications fraud cases in August this year decreased by 44%, with a significant 67% drop in financial losses. Through the government’s vigorous crackdown, early warnings, joint defense efforts, and attentiveness of on-site banking personnel, daily financial losses from “investment fraud” plummeted from around 200 million to 300 million New Taiwan Dollars, substantially reduced to over 36 million NTD, effectively protecting the public’s assets.
Furthermore, Premier Cho Jung-tai noted that fraud schemes are constantly evolving, particularly with a 48% increase in “online shopping fraud” cases compared to 113 (2024). Although individual losses may be minor, the scams now encompass a wide range of products, including agricultural produce, food items, daily necessities, and electronics. Such scams not only jeopardize public health but also damage the reputation of local farmers and small businesses, severely undermining societal trust.
Premier Cho Jung-tai stated that the Executive Yuan has initiated revisions to the “New Generation Anti-Fraud Strategy Action Plan version 3.0 (116 (2027) – 117 (2028))”, urging anti-fraud teams made up of prosecutors, police, investigation agencies, and customs officials to consistently strengthen the “recognize fraud, prevent fraud, block fraud, deter fraud, and punish fraud” strategies. Additionally, they should actively incorporate various technological methods to enhance collaborative defense efficiency and deter unlawful activities.
Regarding cases of ransomware attacks, Premier Cho Jung-tai instructed the police authorities to enhance technological investigation capabilities and digital forensic training to boost officers’ abilities in dealing with ransomware incidents, evidence collection, and investigation. Considering that victims of ransomware attacks come from diverse sectors such as technology, manufacturing, healthcare, retail, tourism, and hospitality industries, which currently lack integrated units, Premier Cho Jung-tai sought assistance from the Digital Development Department to facilitate cross-agency cyber intelligence coordination and formulate enterprise cybersecurity protection guidelines to reinforce private sector data security measures.
Premier Cho Jung-tai urged for the improvement of the cybersecurity incident reporting and cyber intelligence sharing mechanisms, with the Digital Development Department mandating private companies to report significant hacking or ransomware incidents. Establishing a system for information exchange and early warning between law enforcement agencies and private entities will promote a proactive defense partnership between the government and businesses to enhance Taiwan’s overall cyber resilience.