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Taiwan Quick Take

■ Construction
Projects bill passed
Part of the government's special budget bill earmarked for the expansion of public construction projects passed during the preliminary review in the legislature yesterday. The Legislature's Budgets and Final Accounts Committee passed the budget request of NT$77.4 billion (US$2.34 billion) for this fiscal year, of which NT$520 million was reserved for further discussion. The budget was part of the government's "Ten New Major Construction Projects," which calls for an investment of NT$500 billion over five years from 2004 through next year. Through the completion of the projects, the government hopes to turn the nation into one of the three most competitive countries in the world.

■ Transportation
Too many runs: chief
While the Taiwan High Speed Rail Co (THSRC) has announced its plan to increase one-way train runs to 23 or 25 daily by the end of this month, the chief of the Bureau of High Speed Rail expressed severe doubts yesterday about the company's ability to eventually increase the frequency to 61 train runs a day. At present, the high speed rail only offers 19 one-way train runs every day. The bureau's contract with THSRC stipulates that the latter was required to gradually increase the one-way train runs to 61 within six months after the official launch of the high speed rail. The clock started ticking on the second of this month. Bureau Director-General Pang Chia-hua (龐家驊) said yesterday that the 61 one-way train runs a day was an important goal for the company. The bureau officially requested last month that the company submit a detailed report on the matter, Pang said. The report has yet to be received.

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