No cash wasted on polishing Chen's image, GIO says

The Government Information Office (GIO) yesterday dismissed opposition lawmakers' allegations that the government is wasting taxpayers' money to promote President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in the run-up to next year's presidential election.

"I'm afraid they [lawmakers] don't understand how the mechanism of government procurement works," said Cabinet Spokesman Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). "The promotion project has absolutely nothing to do with the upcoming election."

Lin made the remarks in response to allegations lodged by PFP Legislator Liu Wen-hsiung (劉文雄) and his colleague Chen Chien-sung (陳劍松).

Liu claimed that the GIO is planning to spend a total of NT$1.1 billion to buy air time and advertisement space in the media to promote government initiatives and commercial products of state-owned enterprises in a bid to boost Chen's image in the run-up to next March's election.

The GIO will use an outside agency, the Central Trust of China, to organize the bidding process.

Lin added that it is not the first time the GIO has entrusted projects to the Central Trust of China.

"The purpose of having a specific government agency responsible for government procurement is twofold," Lin said. "We have the upper hand in the bidding process and the agency entrusted is experienced in handling the matter."

The fund would cover a NT$200 million promotion, which is scheduled to run between April 1 and June 30, and NT$900 million more running from July to March next year.

"I thought the government was suffering such a financial difficulty that it has to borrow money to kick start the NT$50 billion job-creation program," Liu said.

Instead of wasting the money to promote the government's image, Liu said the government should use the NT$1.1 billion to create jobs for the unemployed.

Chen also questioned the GIO for setting the ceiling of the bidding price and changing the qualifications of bidders.

He also called on the president to order an immediate stop to the project and requested the legal system step in to investigate the legality of the project.

However, GIO Deputy Director-General Hung Chiang-chuan (洪瓊娟) said that his office does not violate any laws to integrate various government agencies' needs to promote government initiatives.

"By integrating the needs of agencies, we stand a better chance of striking a better deal," she said.

Hung also explained why the bidding document sets the maximum bidding price and changes the bidder's qualifications.

"It's necessary to change the qualifications because according to the old rule, there'd be only one bidder qualified.

The original rule had stipulated that potential bidders should have the experience of handling a single project of more than NT$80 million or projects totaling NT$200 million over the past five years.

The standards have been lowered to a single deal of more than NT$16 million or total projects of more than NT$40 million. The new rules also set the ceiling of the bidding price at NT$40 million for the NT$200 million project.