Implementation of the second phase of the government’s Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program was ahead of schedule in the first quarter due to intensive efforts in rail, water infrastructure and green energy development, the National Development Council (NDC) said on Friday.
The budget for the first quarter during which the second stage of the infrastructure development plan was in effect was originally NT$11.72 billion (US$379.2 million), but the government spent NT$12.74 billion in the three months to put implementation ahead of schedule, the council said.
During the January-March period, the government’s rail transportation projects included work on extending the Bannan MRT Line into New Taipei City’s Sanxia (三峽) and Yingge (鶯歌) districts, the Danhai Light Rail Transit system in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水), and improvements to the railway line in Taichung between Chenggong Station (成功) in Wuri District (烏日) and Jhueifen Station (追分) in Dadu District (大肚), it said.
The government’s efforts also included accelerated construction of a silt-prevention tunnel in the Shimen Reservoir near Amuping (阿姆坪) in Taoyuan’s Daxi District (大溪), expansions to tap water supply and improvements to water supply on outlying islands, including at water treatment facilities in Lienchiang County, it said.
The efforts to expand tap water supply benefited 28,076 households in 2017 and last year, and 10,206 additional households are to benefit this year, the council said.
With the government to step up development of renewable energy infrastructure, construction of new facilities at the pilot green energy development park in Tainan was completed in March, the council said.
The Legislative Yuan passed the Special Act on the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program (前瞻基礎建設特別條例) in July 2017 to allow the Cabinet to spend up to NT$420 billion over the subsequent four years on national infrastructure.
Lawmakers approved a special budget worth NT$107.07 billion for the first stage of the program set for 2017-2018, with about 92.4 percent of the budget spent.
An additional NT$222.95 billion in a special budget was approved for the project’s second stage this year and next year, the council said.
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