After Formosa Plastics Group (FPG) donated NT$1 billion to the Yunlin County Government, it requested that NT$640 million of the funds be spent on the construction of an educational facility for Taiwanese traditional puppet theater, known as budaixi, in the high-speed rail special district in Yunlin. After a heated debate on the floor of the Yunlin County Council last Monday, many councilors refused to endorse and adopt subsidies for the Public Construction Commission’s rehabilitate, operate, and transfer (ROT) project on grounds that the council would be unable to supervise the project.
The ROT project for the budaixi complex was among several applications for advances on subsidies that were reviewed by the Yunlin County Council last Monday. The project is asking for a total of NT$2.15 million in subsidies, including a NT$2 million subsidy from the central government and NT$150,000 in matching funds from the county government. Members of the council’s review subcommittee have asked all agencies involved to provide further details and voiced concerns about the possibility of giving unfair advantages to certain entities by endorsing the subsidies before the council actually has a chance to review the project.
Last Monday council members, including vice speaker Lin Feng-chin and councilor Tsai Tung-fu, said that they were unaware of what the construction entailed, and that the council would not endorse the project. Councilor Liao Ching-hsiang, however, said that he thinks the council would still be able to provide proper oversight during all of the preparation work for the ROT project, even though the council would not be able to supervise the actual construction project itself.
Photo: Liao Shu-ling, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者廖淑玲
Yunlin County Commissioner Su Chih-fen says that FPG donated funds specifically for this project, amounting to a total of NT$640 million to cover construction of the facility. After construction is finished, it will be up to the next county commissioner to decide how the facility should be operated, she says. Su also says that the government construction subsidies provided for all of the preparation work for the ROT project should effectively keep the facility from becoming a waste of taxpayers’ money, adding that after construction on the budaixi facility is complete, it will provide local business opportunities and expand the scope of business and arts events for Yunlin. Su hopes the council will be able to see the big picture and help the county government do what needs to be done.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
台塑關係企業捐贈雲林縣府十億元,其中六點四億元將在高鐵雲林特定區興建雲林布袋戲傳習中心,公共工程委員會補助其ROT(租用─營運─移轉)案前置規劃作業墊付案,上週一縣議會議員砲聲隆隆,多位議員以無法監督不替縣府背書為由,拒絕通過該案。
縣議會上週一進行縣府多項墊付案審查,其中雲林布袋戲傳習中心ROT案前置規劃作業計畫,中央補助二百萬元、縣府配合款十五萬元,總計二一五萬元墊付案,分組審查議員要求縣府請示相關單位,針對該興建案經費由以代收代付方式,未經縣議會審議,先期規劃經費二一五萬元卻要求議會背書,是否有圖利特殊對象之虞。
上週一大會討論,包括副議長林逢錦、議員蔡東富表示,工程內容議員都不清楚,縣議會不背書,該案絕不能通過。縣議員廖清祥認為,議會雖無法監督興建案,ROT案前置規劃作業,則能做好把關。
縣長蘇治芬指出,該興建案是台塑捐款指定用途,總計工程款六點四億元,完工後應是下屆縣長決定如何營運,公共工程補助ROT案前置規劃應是避免未來成為蚊子館,該工程完成對地方商機、市場活動及藝文活動推廣都有很大幫助,希望議員能顧大局,協助縣府推動縣政。
(自由時報記者黃淑莉)
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