Premier Mao Chi-kuo (毛治國) yesterday said that the Formosa Fun Coast (八仙海岸) fire was a “major disaster” for which the Executive Yuan’s emergency reserve fund could be used.
An Executive Yuan task force established to deal with the disaster met for second time yesterday, after which its convener, Minister Without Portfolio Yeh Hsin-cheng (葉欣誠), said the reserve fund “should be used when it is needed.”
The NT$7.5 billion (US$241.4 million) fund could be used to defray expenses from the disaster, such as overtime pay for medical staff and purchasing medical supplies and equipment, Yeh said, adding that the Ministry of Health and Welfare would be responsible for the planning of the disbursements.
Photo: Huang Hsu-lei, Taipei Times
The Cabinet’s announcement came hours after the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) caucus told a news conference that the government should tap the secondary reserve fund to help the fire’s victims cover their medicals bills, many of which are expected to be enormous.
TSU Legislator Yeh Chin-ling (葉津鈴) said President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration had tapped the secondary reserve fund to provide aid to China for post-disaster reconstruction following a major earthquake and a deadly mudslide in 2010 and another earthquake last year.
“Ma has been generous to the Chinese. There is no reason he should be indecisive about [helping] our people,” she said, adding that the severity of the water park disaster was not second to a natural catastrophe.
Photo: Lee Jung-hsien, Taipei Times
Nearly 500 people — most of them in their teens or 20s — were injured after a fireball turned a dry pool at the theme park in New Taipei City’s Bali District (八里) into an inferno.
The TSU caucus also urged Ma, in the wake of the fire disaster, to put off a planned trip to Latin America scheduled to begin on Saturday next week.
Going ahead with such a trip in a time of crisis would be ill-advised, TSU caucus whip Lai Chen-chang (賴振昌) said, calling on Ma to show sympathy for the victims and to reassess the need for the trip.
The rehabilitation of the burned victims has just begun, and the nation should unite to give them optimal assistance, so Ma, as the nation’s leader, should be in charge of the operations at home, Lai said.
Ma’s trip might also compromise Taiwan’s image, as the international community is closely watching the government’s response to the disaster, Lai said.
The lawmaker said the trip should be canceled or rescheduled.
With donations and other assistance pouring in from around the nation for the disaster’s victims and their families, TSU Legislator Chou Ni-an (周倪安) said the party has contributed NT$100,000 — raised by Lai, Yeh, Chou and their staff members.
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Democratic Progressive Party made a NT$1 million (US$32,403) and a NT$500,000 donation respectively.
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