NT$45 million earmarked for antiques procurement was yesterday frozen temporarily from the National Palace Museum's (
The funds will remain frozen until disputes surrounding exhibits have been resolved.
The freezing of the funding for purchasing artifacts was proposed by DPP lawmaker Chen Chin-jun (
On numerous occasions in the legislature in recent months, Chen has expressed doubts over the academic ability of museum researchers and the museum's purchasing process.
On June 19, Chen questioned the authenticity of a stone palette supposedly from the Shang Dynasty and two "Neolithic period" jade ornaments, all exhibited at the museum.
While museum researchers have never responded to his queries, he said at a legislative meeting last Thursday that the quality of at least 400 items on display was questionable.
The total value of these exhibits reaches into hundreds of millions of NT dollars, he said.
During yesterday's budget-review session at the legislature, Chen suggested freezing the museum's NT$45 million antiques procurement budget for the time being, until the museum submits a complete report to clear up the controversy.
Chen's suggestion was endorsed by independent lawmaker Josephine Chu (朱惠良), PFP lawmaker Diane Lee (李慶安) and KMT lawmaker Mu Ming-chu (穆閩珠).
Responding to the proposal, deputy director of the museum Shih Shou-chien (
After the seminar, Shih said, the museum would present a detailed report to be reviewed by lawmakers.
Shih also said that in a bid to prevent such a controversy from occurring again, the museum would publicize procurement details on the its Web site.
"By making the buying procedures and contents transparent, we aim to avoid contention of this kind in the future," he said.
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
WARNING: People in coastal areas need to beware of heavy swells and strong winds, and those in mountainous areas should brace for heavy rain, the CWA said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued sea and land warnings for Typhoon Ragasa, forecasting that it would continue to intensify and affect the nation the most today and tomorrow. People in Hualien and Taitung counties, and mountainous areas in Yilan and Pingtung counties, should brace for damage caused by extremely heavy rain brought by the typhoon’s outer rim, as it was upgraded to a super typhoon yesterday morning, the CWA said. As of 5:30pm yesterday, the storm’s center was about 630km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving northwest at 21kph, and its maximum wind speed had reached
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said that it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Ragasa this morning and a land warning at night as it approached Taiwan. Ragasa intensified from a tropical storm into a typhoon at 8am yesterday, the CWA said, adding that at 2pm, it was about 1,110km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip. The typhoon was moving northwest at 13kph, with sustained winds of up to 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA Web site showed. Forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said that Ragasa was projected to strengthen as it neared the Bashi Channel, with its 200km
MATAIAN RIVER: Rescue operations were ongoing, with officials urging residents to move to higher floors where possible as teams focus first on those at ground level Floodwaters from the overflowing Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) barrier lake swept into Hualien County’s Guangfu Township (光復) yesterday afternoon, leaving hundreds of people trapped and three missing as of press time last night, the Hualien County Fire Bureau said. The waters surged into downtown Guangfu after the riverbank burst at about 2:50pm, carrying mud and debris and submerging streets to rooftop level in some areas. Residents were seen climbing onto vehicles and rooftops to await rescue as thick, silt-laden water inundated the town. The surge destroyed the Mataian Bridge (馬太鞍溪橋) and flooded the Guangfu Railway Station. Rescue operations were launched with support from fire departments
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