State-owned Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) has violated a legislative resolution by putting out a new construction tender for the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, a lawmaker said yesterday.
A Legislative Yuan resolution on Feb. 26 stated that no additional budget for the plant would be allocated before a national referendum on its future is held and placed a moratorium on Taipower placing new tenders and installing fuel rods.
However, the Longmen Construction Office at Taipower’s Department of Nuclear and Fossil Power Projects, which is in charge of the construction of the plant, violated the resolution by announcing a tender for a heat-tracing system on the company’s Web site on Wednesday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said.
“The illegal tender showed that the Executive Yuan’s integrity and sincerity to abide by the resolution is in question,” Kuan told a press conference in Taipei.
The Executive Yuan should step up its effort to monitor Taipower, she said.
According to Kuan, Taipower admitted the mistake to her and agreed to withdraw the tender for the second nuclear reactor’s heat tracing system, saying it would place a new bid for the first reactor’s heat tracing system.
At a separate press conference, DPP lawmakers Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) and Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純) said a construction company with a questionable record was among the subcontractors at the plant in Gongliao (貢寮), New Taipei City (新北市).
Kuo Teng Construction Co (國登營造), which was found to be responsible for construction flaws at the Wugu-Yangmei Overpass, secured a construction bid worth more than NT$300 million (US$1 billion) for the plant.
While the winning bidder for the project listed on the Public Construction Commission’s (PCC) Web site was Cheng An Technology Co (城安新科技公司), Yeh said, its company address was the same as Kuo Teng’s, according to data provided by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) on Wednesday said decommissioned coast guard vessels were given to the Philippines to enhance regional rescue capacity and would not affect Taiwanese fishers’ rights and benefits. Kuan made the remarks after confirmation on Tuesday that a 500-tonne Coast Guard Administration (CGA) patrol and rescue vessel would be given to the Philippine Coast Guard. The donation ceremony was reportedly done in Manila, but whether the vessel — previously numbered “CG123” and named Kinmen (金門) — has been handed over has yet to be confirmed. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) on Wednesday criticized the donation for “taking
The Ministry of Finance today announced the winning numbers for the July-August uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$314,663) special prize is 89996565, while the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 91098182. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 54348835, 44991397 and 06595111. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits qualify for the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers are eligible for the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
The National Police Agency’s Third Special Police Corps yesterday said that from May to July, it intercepted five smuggling operations from China, seizing more than 70,000 counterfeit Beyblades with an estimated infringement value of NT$34.45 million (US$1.08 million). It added that any bootleg unit that reached the local market could present hidden health hazards to players. Beyblades, a line of spinning toy tops used in competitive gaming and developed in Japan by toy company Takara Tomy, have become popular in Taiwan, making them a target for fraudsters. The Third Special Police Corps, dedicated to safeguarding maritime borders and trade lines,
Taiwan has upgraded its maritime patrol capacity around the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) in the disputed South China Sea, including regularly sending larger ships there, the government said on Wednesday, responding to an increase in Chinese activities. Lying roughly between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong, the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands are seen by security experts as vulnerable to a Chinese attack due to their distance — more than 400km — from Taiwan. In a statement late on Wednesday, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said its overall patrol and enforcement capacity in Pratas waters has been “comprehensively upgraded.” With the completion of a wharf
RSS