A plan proposed by the Taipei City Government to procure three private plots of land in Shilin District (士林) for the construction of a “tourist center” — for which the city government has budgeted NT$105 million (US$3.17 million) from its second reserve fund — has sparked heated debate among city councilors.
The plots on Zhishan Road take up a combined space of about 250 ping (826m2) on a disused construction site.
The expropriation plan drew criticism from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) city councilors, who said Ko’s proposal to use the fund to purchase the land instead of submitting a budget proposal was a breach of protocol.
KMT Taipei City Councilor Chen Yung-te (陳永德) said Ko’s intention to use the fund contravenes rules governing its use, which say the fund is for emergency expenses needed for city government projects.
Ko has violated the Budget Act (預算法) and should drop the expropriation plan before the Control Yuan launches and investigation and impeaches him, Chen said.
KMT Taipei City Councilor Wang Hong-wei (王鴻薇) said the plan could be improperly benefiting landowners.
Ko said his administration was merely “following the rules” set by his predecessor, former Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), which proposed to use the fund to acquire the land.
“The fact of the matter is that Hau in 2013 and last year signed documents that allowed for the plots to be purchased using the second reserve fund. I have not even spent a cent from the budgets proposed this year,” Ko said.
“Sometimes, KMT city councilors criticize without carefully researching an issue. They end up shooting themselves in the foot,” he said.
He added that the project is now stymied by a lawsuit and the fund would be used if the litigants agree to a settlement.
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Taipei City Councilor Chen Chien-ming (陳建銘) said the city government is appealing for NT$33.63 million, which has been demanded as compensation by the proprietor of a gas station.
Chen said Hau issued a permit for the gas station shortly after he took office in 2006, but in November 2007 he invalidated the permit after the project met with strong protests from residents.
This prompted a lawsuit from the proprietor, who has demanded NT$33.63 million in compensation from the city government, Chen said.
“It is Hau who should be investigated by the Control Yuan, not Ko,” Chen said.
The Taipei Department of Information and Tourism said it had planned a five-story tourist center on the land to function as a rest stop for cyclists and an information center for tourists.
The building’s fourth floor is to have restaurants, while its top floor would be used as an events center, the department said.
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