Civil servants who approved the construction and use permits for the Weiguan Jinlong complex in Tainan should share the blame alongside its developer for the structure’s collapse, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) said on Sunday.
The 17-story, multi-building complex collapsed during the magnitude 6.4 earthquake on Feb. 6, eventually accounting for 114 of quake’s total of 116 fatalities.
Speaking on a political talk show, Wang said that the government only issues a construction permit for a project after the building’s blueprints have passed two separate reviews, one for safety and the other for aesthetics.
Prior to issuing a construction permit, the project is scrutinized in a safety review of the soundness of its structural mechanics, its weight distribution and depth, the thickness of steel rebars and the quality of materials, Wang said.
Once work begins on the site, government inspectors and regulators are required to photograph the work performed on each level and evaluate it for compliance with the original plans, before the developer is allowed to pour concrete on that level and begin working on the next one, he said.
The completed building can obtain a use permit — required for buyers to obtain mortgages, sales and property transfers — only after it has passed every inspection of its component levels during construction, he added.
Prosecutors have detained property developer Lin Ming-hui (林明輝), whose now-defunct Weiguan Construction Co built the Weiguan Jinlong complex.
They have said that the complex was not built to specifications, for example using only half the number of steel rods for its east-side rebars that its plans indicated, Wang said.
If those allegations are true, it would appear that the inspectors and regulators who signed the construction and use permits were complicit in wrongdoing alongside Lin, he said.
Loopholes in the current regulations also give developers too much latitude in dictating building plans to architects and afford too many opportunities for exerting improper influence over public officials, the lawmaker said, adding that those loopholes must be closed.
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS