Officials from the National Science Council (NSC) said yesterday that they would find out who was responsible for the failure of a local manufacturer to proceed with an environmental impact assessment (EIA) before building a new plant two years ago, adding that the controversial case would not be left for the new government to handle.
The case involves the failure of United Microelectronics Corp (UMC,
The NSC, which oversees the Science-based Industrial Park Administration (SIPA), has now come under pressure to deal with the issue -- prompting a visit by officials to Hsinchu yesterday.
The visit was also aimed at easing tensions between the Hsinchu municipal and county governments and the park over urban planning problems.
"I will complete the ongoing investigation over the UMC case, and punish officials who neglected their duties by May 18 -- when all members of the Cabinet will resign," NSC chairman Hwang Jenn-tai (
At a mediation lunch with Hsinchu mayor Tsai Jen-chien (
Tsai complained on Wednesday about contradictory regulations and laws pertaining to local governments and the park.
Hwang, however, said yesterday that local urban development plans could be carried out with cooperation and existing conflicts on environmental and urban planning issues would be eventually solved.
The NSC said it would budget NT$200 million for SIPA to contribute to public construction projects planned by various local governments next year.
Hwang said that UMC was innocent, because it had followed SIPA's instructions when applying for the project.
"We will do our best to communicate with the EPA in a bid to limit UMC's losses caused by the forced shutdown of its plant," said Hwang.
The EPA is to review UMC's EIA report today, and it is believed the review, now two years overdue, will be approved. UMC officials voiced their concern yesterday over possible huge financial losses the plant closure could cause.
"We hope to pass the EIA review tomorrow and resume operations on April 29," said UMC's board vice chairman, Hsueh Ming-chih (宣明智).
At a public hearing held by legislators in Taipei yesterday, SIPA officials were not so confident that the EIA would be quickly passed.
"Although our staff did not question the scientific data provided by UMC, we still need to wait and see the EPA's final decision," said Chou San-yi (
The US government has signed defense cooperation agreements with Japan and the Philippines to boost the deterrence capabilities of countries in the first island chain, a report by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The main countries on the first island chain include the two nations and Taiwan. The bureau is to present the report at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee tomorrow. The US military has deployed Typhon missile systems to Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture and Zambales province in the Philippines during their joint military exercises. It has also installed NMESIS anti-ship systems in Japan’s Okinawa
‘WIN-WIN’: The Philippines, and central and eastern European countries are important potential drone cooperation partners, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung said Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) in an interview published yesterday confirmed that there are joint ventures between Taiwan and Poland in the drone industry. Lin made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper). The government-backed Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance and the Polish Chamber of Unmanned Systems on Wednesday last week signed a memorandum of understanding in Poland to develop a “non-China” supply chain for drones and work together on key technologies. Asked if Taiwan prioritized Poland among central and eastern European countries in drone collaboration, Lin
BACK TO WORK? Prosecutors said they are considering filing an appeal, while the Hsinchu City Government said it has applied for Ann Kao’s reinstatement as mayor The High Court yesterday found suspended Hsinchu mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) not guilty of embezzling assistant fees, reducing her sentence to six months in prison commutable to a fine from seven years and four months. The verdict acquitted Kao of the corruption charge, but found her guilty of causing a public official to commit document forgery. The High Prosecutors’ Office said it is reviewing the ruling and considering whether to file an appeal. The Taipei District Court in July last year sentenced Kao to seven years and four months in prison, along with a four-year deprivation of civil rights, for contravening the Anti-Corruption
NO CONFIDENCE MOTION? The premier said that being toppled by the legislature for defending the Constitution would be a democratic badge of honor for him Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday announced that the Cabinet would not countersign the amendments to the local revenue-sharing law passed by the Legislative Yuan last month. Cho said the decision not to countersign the amendments to the Act Governing the Allocation of Government Revenues and Expenditures (財政收支劃分法) was made in accordance with the Constitution. “The decision aims to safeguard our Constitution,” he said. The Constitution stipulates the president shall, in accordance with law, promulgate laws and issue mandates with the countersignature of the head of the Executive Yuan, or with the countersignatures of both the head of the Executive Yuan and ministers or
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