President Chen Shui-bian (
Addressing the opening of a national conference on health and medical service policies, Chen said the projects, which were approved by the Cabinet earlier this week, are necessary in order to leave future generations with better infrastructure, more wealth and enhanced competitiveness.
"If we fail to carry out these projects right now, we will have to carry them out in the future at a much higher cost. So these projects should be carried out `the sooner the better,'" Chen said, adding that he hopes the opposition parties "appreciate the needs and expectations of the people and support the budget bill for the projects."
While Taiwan's average per capita income has exceeded US$13,000, Chen said, the domestic quality of life has not matched the wealth level.
This is mainly because Taiwan's public infrastructure is inadequate and falling behind places like Shanghai, a fact which undermines Taiwan's overall competitiveness, makes it difficult to attract new foreign investment and retain first-rate talent, and even creates an adverse impact on public health, Chen said.
Noting that a community-wide SARS outbreak in Hong Kong earlier this year was caused by flaws in waste water disposal, Chen said construction of sewer systems in Taiwan is critical to stave off the spread of viruses and bacteria.
Chen said Taiwan lags far behind many advanced countries in public sewer system construction. As of June 30, Taipei City had completed construction of 63.7 percent of its public sewer system and the rate was only 27.8 percent in Kaohsiung City, while the average rate in other parts of the island was a marginal 1.5 percent.
Under the "New 10 Major Infrastructure Projects," Chen said, the government will invest up to NT$70 billion in sewer construction as part of its efforts to offer local people a better and more hygienic environment.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition