Following their inauguration on Tuesday, the mayors of the six special municipalities yesterday attended a meeting of the Executive Yuan in Taipei and tendered their proposals for central government funding for local projects.
New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) submitted a budget proposal asking the central government to fund the municipality’s mass public transportation projects.
Hou’s proposal seeks to build three circular MRT lines linking New Taipei City to Taoyuan and Taipei, with the addition of six other lines — an extension of the light rail system in Bali District (八里); a light rail system in Tamsui; a line connecting Wugu District (五股) to Taishan District (泰山); one in Shenkeng District (深坑); one in Ankeng District (安坑); and a Minsheng-Sijhih line.
Photo courtesy of the Executive Yuan
Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) also requested funding for transportation projects, in particular an extension of the metro service in Kaohsiung to Lujhu (路竹) and Linyuan (林園) districts.
Han said he had separated the Kaohsiung MRT project into three categories based on their urgency: the Red, Blue and Green lines, in ascending order.
Sharing his experiencing in seeking central government support, Premier William Lai (賴清德), a former mayor of Tainan, said that if local policies dovetail with central government policies, it would not only facilitate requests for funding, but would also ensure that such policies would be carried out at the local level.
Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) said that reducing the number of thermal power plants would help ameliorate poor air quality in Taichung.
Lai replied that the central government would abide by the results of a referendum on the issue last month, adding that the Ministry of Economic Affairs is conducting an overall review of the nation’s energy policy and would inform local governments after completing the task.
The meeting between Lai and the six municipal mayors was amicable, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said.
The central government will offer its support to policies previously agreed upon and party affiliation will not be a factor, Kolas quoted Lai as saying.
“Neither the central government nor the local governments can shoulder the development of the nation’s infrastructure or economy alone; it must be a joint effort,” she quoted the premier as saying.
All mayors expressed their concern over government efforts to prevent African swine fever from spreading to Taiwan, Kolas added.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS