It would cost about NT$1 billion (US$30.89 million) to restore Taroko National Park after it was severely damaged by a massive quake on April 3, Minister of Interior Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said yesterday.
Speaking at a meeting of the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee on reconstruction after the earthquake, Lin said that several hiking trails, facilities and structures in the mountainous park were severely damaged by the temblor, which measured 7.2 on the Richter scale.
Based on preliminary estimates, the cost of restoring portions of the park that are the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior would be more than NT$1 billion, Lin said, without offering any further specifics and what exactly that funding would cover.
Photo: Sam Yeh, AFP
However, the estimate does not cover repairs to the main traffic artery that runs through the park — the Central Cross-island Highway (Provincial Highway No. 8) — which is the responsibility of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
More accurate estimates would not be available until a damage assessment is completed in about two weeks, Lin said, attributing the slow process to the many aftershocks in the area that have made surveying it difficult.
Taroko National Park stretches from the northern Hualien County coast as far inland as Hehuanshan (合歡山) near the border of Hualien and Nantou counties.
It is best known for the stunning Taroko Gorge and the cross-island highway along the Liwu River (立霧溪) that cut through it. The gorge and nearby trails were buried in landslides and rockslides triggered by the quake, killing several hikers.
Although access to the gorge remains closed, the interior ministry said the western parts of the park near Hehuanshan have reopened.
As for funding in the wake of the disaster, Lin said the central government allotted NT$300 million to the Hualien County Government to meet immediate needs, and is now assessing post-disaster shelter and housing reconstruction needs.
Some of the expenditures are to be covered by the existing disaster response budget and by funds collected through donations, and the government would only consider setting up a special budget if the funds are not sufficient, Lin said.
He was responding to legislators’ questions about whether a temporary regulation similar to the defunct Temporary Statute for 921 Earthquake Post-Disaster Reconstruction would be introduced.
Meanwhile, the Taiwan Foundation for Disaster Relief said in a statement that as of 7am yesterday, donations exceeding NT$900 million have poured into local accounts for earthquake relief.
ECONOMIC RESILIENCE: Only 11.4 percent of Taiwan’s overseas investments last year were in China, and businesses are dispersing their investments elsewhere, Lai said China’s ambition to annex Taiwan is based on a desire to change the rules-based international order, rather than a desire for territorial gains, President William Lai (賴清德) said in an interview. During an appearance on the talk show The View With Catherine Chang, aired last night, Lai said China aimed to achieve hegemony, and that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait was an issue of worldwide concern. During the interview, Lai also discussed his “four-pillar plan” for peace and prosperity, which he first outlined in an article published by the Wall Street Journal on July 4 last year. That
‘REGRETTABLE’: TPP lawmaker Vivian Huang said that ‘we will continue to support Chairman Ko and defend his innocence’ as he was transferred to a detention facility The Taipei District Court yesterday ruled that Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) be detained and held incommunicado over alleged corruption dating to his time as mayor of Taipei. The ruling reversed a decision by the court on Monday morning that Ko be released without bail. After prosecutors on Wednesday appealed the Monday decision, the High Court said that Ko had potentially been “actively involved” in the alleged corruption and ordered the district court to hold a second detention hearing. Ko did not speak to reporters upon his arrival at the district court at about 9:10am yesterday to attend a procedural
Thirty Taiwanese firms, led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and ASE Technology Holding Co (日月光投控), yesterday launched a silicon photonics industry alliance, aiming to accelerate the medium’s development and address the energy efficiency of artificial intelligence (AI) devices like data centers. As the world is ushering in a new AI era with tremendous demand for computing power and algorithms, energy consumption is emerging as a critical issue, TSMC vice president of integrated interconnect and packaging business C.K. Hsu (徐國晉) told a media briefing in Taipei. To solve this issue, it is essential to introduce silicon photonics and copackaged optics (CPO)
The High Court yesterday overturned a Taipei District Court decision to release Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and sent the case back to the lower court. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office on Saturday questioned Ko amid a probe into alleged corruption involving the Core Pacific City development project during his time as Taipei mayor. Core Pacific City, also known as Living Mall (京華城購物中心), was a shopping mall in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) that has since been demolished. On Monday, the Taipei District Court granted a second motion by Ko’s attorney to release him without bail, a decision the prosecutors’ office appealed
RSS