Kaohsiung WTC to be completed by 2010

A project to build a world trade center in Kaohsiung is expected to be completed by 2010, a city official said yesterday.

The project will open for public bidding later this month, an official at the Kaohsiung City Government's Public Works Bureau said.

The 4.5-hectare center, which is scheduled to be inaugurated by 2011, will include a 1,500-booth exhibition hall, the official said.

In addition, the center will have a 2,000-seat conference room, two 800-seat conference rooms, four 40-seat conference rooms and six 20-seat conference rooms.

Because of a lack of a large conference hall and exhibition center in Kaohsiung, the city's computer and information product exhibitions have been held at local hotels or temporarily erected exhibition venues, the official said.

International events cannot be held at such venues because they are not large enough and traffic access to these sites is limited, the official said.

To remedy the situation, the Ministry of Economic Affairs allocated NT$3 billion (US$93 million) for the construction of the world trade center and commissioned the bureau to handle the project, which will begin late next year, the official said.

City government estimates showed that the world trade center would generate NT$9.2 billion in revenue annually and create 4,000 jobs.