The Legislative Yuan and the Executive Yuan yesterday decided against calling on the president to declare a state of emergency.
Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) said after a meeting with Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) and the three legislative caucuses that they believed the government could handle disaster and relief procedures based on the provisions listed in the Disaster Prevention and Protection Act (災害防救法).
Wang told reporters that the officials also agreed that there was no need for the Executive Yuan to file a special budget request for reconstruction because the Cabinet still has NT$40 billion (US$1.2 billion) at its disposal for relief work and reconstruction.
PHOTO: CNA
But the speaker said the Cabinet promised to have its subordinate organizations estimate the budget they need for reconstruction.
If the Cabinet decides to propose a special budget, legislators across party lines will hold an extraordinary session to complete the review within a short period, Wang said.
Speaking about the decision, Liu said: “At this stage, we don't think an emergency decree is necessary. We compared the emergency decree and the Disaster Prevention and Protection Act and found that the act already covers what is written in the decree.”
The Act was promulgated after the Sept. 21 Earthquake in 1999.
Liu said he respected President Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) authority to choose to implement the decree or not.
Asked about mounting complaints that the government failed to act promptly to rescue victims, Liu said he did not agree.
“In contrast with the disaster relief after the 921 Earthquake, we acted swiftly this time. I didn't enter the earthquake-affected areas [as vice premier then] until Sept. 28 when comprehensive relief work was launched,” he said.
“It is unavoidable that there be complaints, and we will make improvements,” the premier said. “But overall, we have acted swiftly.”
“If you interview local commissioners, they would say the same thing,” Liu said.
Liu said that weather conditions impeded rescue efforts, and that delays were not the result of government not sending enough military personnel, equipment and vehicles.
Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔), the secretary-general of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus, said earlier yesterday the legislature was ready to hold an extraordinary session.
With the death toll from Typhoon Morakot rising and hundreds of people still stranded in areas wiped out by mudslides, lawmakers questioned President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) leadership and the government's disaster relief effort.
KMT Legislator Tsao Erh-chang (曹爾忠) said the whole administrative network should be dedicated to disaster relief, adding that the absence of senior government chiefs at disaster-hit areas was “unacceptable.”
KMT Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) said the president should have ordered full military involvement in disaster relief.
“I expect President Ma to exercise his power as commander-in-chief as soon as possible,” Lo said.
KMT caucus Legislator Lu Hsueh-chang (呂學樟) said the government's disaster relief policy was problematic and should be reviewed.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) questioned Ma's leadership, saying that only about 8,000 soldiers had been mobilized since the typhoon struck.
Huang Huang-hui (黃煌煇), vice chancellor of Cheng Kung University in Tainan, told the KMT Central Standing Committee the only way to get the government to understand the situation would be to flood the Presidential Office.
Ma said yesterday that the Executive Yuan would decide today whether to request a special budget for disaster relief.
Visiting Cishan Township (旗山) in Kaohsiung County, Ma said government agencies had been assessing the potential cost of reconstruction. If current budgets were not enough, Ma said the Cabinet could enact an extraordinary decree to request a special budget.
Unlike Tuesday, when petitioners were blocked by police and bodyguards, the families of victims were able to approach Ma and tell their stories.
While some held up a banner reading “Retarded government, cold-blooded murderers,” a tearful grandmother spoke about losing her fish farm, telling Ma she had no fish to sell and “would die” because she owed a lot of money.
Another woman cried out: “President Ma, please help,” while another asked Ma to distribute money as soon as possible.
Ma acknowledged the severity of the destruction caused by Morakot, but said it was unnecessary to declare a state of emergency.
“I am not saying that the situation is not serious. It is very serious,” he said.
Ma said the government declared a state of emergency after the 921 Earthquake in 1999. The decree covered 11 issues, which were later enshrined in the Disaster Prevention and Protection Act, which sanctions the recruitment of private sector resources and simplifies administrative procedures.
“As the law is applicable to minor and major disasters, we don't have to declare a state of emergency when disaster strikes,” he said.
While victims' families criticized the rescue efforts as too slow, Ma said the rescue mission would continue, weather permitting, adding that the government must evacuate and had the right to evacuate residents against their will.
He also asked Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) to help evacuees find housing and consider subsidizing their rental fees.
Compensation for agricultural losses will be made in accordance with the Agricultural Natural Disaster Relief Regulations (農業天然災害救助辦法), he said, and could be dealt with on a case-by-case basis if reimbursements are insufficient.
‘NO SECURITY RISK’: The Railway Bureau reassured the public that the technicians’ activities were limited to technical guidance and did not involve sensitive systems The Railway Bureau yesterday said it had invited eight Chinese technicians to assist with an airport MRT construction project. The bureau issued the confirmation after an Internet user said Chinese nationals had entered the construction zone of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport’s Terminal 3 project. They asked why “individuals from an enemy state” were allowed access to such a major national infrastructure project, which raised serious concerns over Taiwan’s industrial safety, sensitive systems and information security. The bureau’s Northern Region Engineering Branch Office said subcontractor Taiwan Handle Industrial Co (台灣手把工業) of the Taoyuan airport MRT’s “Contract No. CU05 Project A14 Station Civil, MEP &
A US uncrewed surface vessel (USV) encountered multiple Chinese warships during an autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait, US defense company Seasats said in a statement on Wednesday. Seasats announced that a Lightfish USV had completed the first autonomous transit of the Taiwan Strait. Over five days, the USV traversed the entire length of the Strait while constantly monitoring surface vessel traffic, the company said. The Lightfish encountered multiple Chinese warships, one of which was a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Type 056 corvette, it said. The Chinese vessels were operating “well within Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone without transmitting their identity via the
‘BOOMING’: ’ The number of partners we have here is incredible. You can see from their stock prices. They’re doing so well, they’re so happy,’ Jensen Huang said Nvidia Corp’s spending in Taiwan has ballooned to about US$150 billion a year, 10 times the US$10 billion to US$15 billion the company spent five years ago, Nvidia chief executive officer Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said yesterday, suggesting Taiwan’s strategic importance in the global artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain. “Taiwan is the epicenter of the AI revolution. This is where the chips come, packaging comes. This is where the systems are made. This is where AI supercomputers were created,” Huang said at a meeting for the company’s employees in Beitou-Shilin Technology Park (北投士林科技園區) in Taipei, the planned site of Nvidia’s Taipei headquarters. “Taiwan
GREATER REACH? Auto parts and wood products would face tariffs of up to 15%, matching those targeting the EU, Japan and South Korea, Vice Premier said The US has announced that preferential tariff treatment for Taiwan’s non-semiconductor Section 232 goods would take effect retroactively from May 1, the Executive Yuan said yesterday. The US government yesterday posted a notice on the Federal Register’s public inspection Web site previewing tariff concessions for Taiwan under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Taiwan-US investment after two months of negotiations. The MOU signed on Jan. 15 stipulated three major preferential tariff arrangements: a 15 percent “reciprocal” tariff rate for Taiwan without stacking most-favored nation (MFN) rates; preferential Section 232 treatment for semiconductors and related products; and preferential Section 232 treatment for non-semiconductor
RSS