Opposition lawmakers accused the Executive Yuan of wasting taxpayers’ money by subsidizing the park area used for the Taipei International Flower Exposition an additional NT$450 million (US$14.8 million) for “repair funds.”
The opposition also said the Executive Yuan was playing favorites when choosing the area as one of the promoted grounds for its latest “Best Entrepreneur” projects.
According to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Su Chen-ching (蘇震清), National Development Council Minister Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔) on Sept. 24 said that the project was in accordance with the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法) and the Taipei Flower Exposition was chosen t simply because it may more easily see results.
The government is playing favorites in terms of national resource allocation, Su said, adding that the exposition park is receiving a total of NT$600 million, including subsidies for repairs and operational costs of NT$150 million.
Su questioned why the project could not be located in central or southern Taiwan and said it was inappropriate for the central government to be biased in its national resource allocation.
Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Yeh Chin-ling (葉津玲) said the park accrued a total of NT$13.5 billion in operating costs in the six months of the exposition in 2010, adding that as the park remained open even after the exposition, it had continued to burn taxpayers’ money.
Yeh said the Council of Agriculture was saddled with the burden of subsidizing NT$221 million for the park’s continued development from 2012 to this year, adding that with the council’s termination of subsidies, the council was once again throwing money at the park.
Not only is the park a bottomless money pit, the majority of staff forming the industry development foundation — the organization hosting the project — are staff left over from the 21st summer Deaflympics of 2009, Yeh said.
These people know nothing about how to “be innovative” and “create more jobs,” Yeh said.
Regarding Greater Taichung’s decision to host the 2018 International Flower Exposition, estimated to cost the municipal government NT$8.1 billion, Yeh said the municipality obviously has not learned anything from Taipei.
In the face of slumping national finances, it is best to subsidize flower farmers directly, rather than spending money on showy, but impractical expositions, Yeh said.
In response to the accusations, the National Development Council said that by allocating NT$50 million per year to the project from this year through 2017, the council estimates it will increase domestic investment by NT$8.6 billion and create more than 5,500 jobs.
Additional reporting by Chen Mei-ying
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