Not a single investor has expressed an interest in developing the old port zone at the Port of Kaohsiung, one of the locations considered by the Kaohsiung City Government to implement its “Love Ferris wheel” and shopping mall project, Taiwan International Ports Corp (TIPC) said yesterday.
The project was one of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu’s (韓國瑜) campaign promises as he ran for mayor last year.
It would be built by the Love River (愛河) and feature cars that double as “motel rooms,” he said at the time, adding that it would cost more than NT$10 billion (US$329.85 million at the current exchange rate) and create 3,000 jobs.
Photo: Chang Chung-yi, Taipei Times
However, three of the four locations the city government yesterday offered as options to build the Ferris wheel are not along the river. They are piers Nos. 4 to 8; piers Nos. 16 to 18; and pier No. 21, also known as the old port zone.
The ports company issued a statement after the city accused it of not cooperating in implementing the project and threatened to raise the percentage of funds it would receive from the development of Pier No. 21 from 42 to 52 percent.
“We have been welcoming carriers interested in offering passenger shipping services at the Port of Kaohsiung, as well as tourism and leisure business developers. However, no investor has contacted us to talk about the development plan. We will seek to communicate with the Kaohsiung City Government on this matter,” TIPC said.
The agreement it signed with the city in June states that 42 percent of the funds generated from the development of the old port zone would be given to the city, it said.
As such, the company, as well as the government agency supervising the land development plan, are carefully reviewing the plan and gauging the potential benefits that could be created from it, TIPC said.
This is done to ensure that government properties will be used in the most efficient way possible, it added.
The land development firm that it has established with the city is designed to address the issues related to the percentage of funds that is to be received by the city, TIPC said.
Should the city demand that the percentage be raised from 42 to 52 percent, the land development firm would have no option but to allow TIPC to enforce the development of the old port zone on its own, it said.
“Raising the percentage would only increase the costs for the investors, which in turn would lower the financial benefits,” TIPC said, adding that this would alienate investors.
The land development firm has already proposed plans to attract investors, and interested parties are welcome to talk to it and present their proposals, TIPC said.
“If the management of the land development firm considers any of the proposals to be feasible, it would apply for a permit from the port company to execute the development plan,” it added.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
RSS