The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a plan to allocate NT$28.55 billion (US$878.57 million) for Hualien County reconstruction after it was affected by a earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale on April 3.
The approval came after Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) listened to briefings from government agencies at a weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday morning.
The funds would cover spending in four key areas — NT$18.44 billion to repair and rebuild public infrastructure, NT$5.84 billion to shelter people whose homes were damaged and build new ones, NT$4.08 billion to boost the tourism and cultural industries, and NT$190 million for employment assistance programs and other subsidies.
Photo: Hua Meng-ching, Taipei Times
Cabinet spokesman Lin Tze-luen (林子倫) said that the Ministry of the Interior has been asked to establish an office in Hualien to help residents affected by the earthquake and coordinate affairs related to rebuilding homes.
Of the funding allocated to boost tourism, NT$1.584 billion would be used to encourage people to visit agricultural and indigenous communities, a plan announced at a news conference after the Cabinet meeting showed.
Part of the funding for industry development would be used to provide credit guarantees for accommodation providers seeking to finance their business and incentives to increase the use of culture vouchers issued by the Ministry of Culture, the plan showed.
As infrastructure in Taroko National Park was severely damaged, the Ministry of the Interior aims to spend NT$3.023 billion restoring and rebuilding in three stages: emergency repairs, shoring up safety of facilities using technology, and enhancing overall travel safety and quality.
Although railway services to the east coast have resumed normal operations, NT$1.797 billion would be spent to better integrate automatic train protection and earthquake alert systems, install earthquake alarms near Heren (和仁) and Chongde (崇德) stations in Hualien’s Sioulin Township (秀林), repair damaged tracks and reinforce side slopes.
Sources of funding include tax revenue, emergency funds, public donations and budgets that have been earmarked for previous government projects, the plan showed.
So far, government agencies have delivered a combined NT$15.97 billion through rearrangement of policy priorities to meet urgent quake-related needs this year.
From next year, all levels of government are to budget for a multiyear plan that would raise NT$12.58 billion to help rebuild Hualien.
National Construction and Planning Agency Director-General Wu Hsin-hsiu (吳欣修) said that the nation has sufficient facilities to accommodate those affected by the massive earthquake and aftershocks.
So far, 685 households have applied for rent subsidies and accommodation providers have made 2,000 rooms available for people affected by the earthquakes, Wu said, adding that the government has the capacity to provide shelter to more than 2,600 households.
“Prefab homes need to be regularly maintained and residents would experience greater inconvenience than those living in rented homes or in hotels. However, we will assist those who clearly indicate that they want to live in prefab homes,” Wu said.
To shelter individuals and families affected by the earthquake, the government would offer a monthly rent subsidy of NT$8,000 for households of up to three and NT$18,000 for a household of eight or more.
Those who stay in hotels are to receive NT$32,000 per month for a two-bed room or NT$44,000 for a four-person room.
Meanwhile, those who move to a different home would be eligible for subsidies ranging from NT$10,000 to NT$50,000. Those whose homes were determined by the government to have been damaged would receive up to NT$300,000 for repairs.
The Tourism Administration said that accommodation providers can apply for financing and quick cash loans.
A hotel applying for capital financing can receive up to NT$30 million, while bed-and-breakfast operators can receive up to NT$4 million, it said.
The maximum loan for quick cash is NT$10 million for a hotel and NT$3 million for a bed and breakfast, it said.
In addition, individual tourists traveling to Hualien would receive an accommodation subsidy of NT$1,000 per room if they check into a hotel on a weekday excluding Friday, while the room subsidy would be NT$500 for checking in on Fridays or weekends, the Tourism Administration said.
People who check into a hotel in Taitung on a weekday excluding Friday would be eligible for a subsidy of NT$1,000 per room, the agency said.
Travel agencies are eligible for subsidies of up to NT$20,000 for arranging two-day or longer group tours to Hualien and NT$15,000 to Taitung, provided that each group consists of 20 or more members, the Tourism Administration said.
Each travel agency can receive subsidies for no more than five tour groups, and the tour must have at least one day that is not on a weekend or a holiday, it said.
To encourage international travelers to visit Hualien, travel agencies chartering flights and bringing at least 50 foreign tourists to the county would be eligible for NT$300,000 to NT$400,000 in subsidies, depending on the travel market the visitors are coming from, it said.
The tourism incentives would be implemented from July 1 to September, it added.
From June 1, travelers can board Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Bus services between Hualien and Taitung County free of charge and would receive an 80 percent discount for Taiwan Tour Bus services in the two counties, it said.
Taiwan Railway Corp is to issue a new version of TaiwanPass on June 1 that includes a special offer to purchase two passes for the price of one, the Tourism Administration said.
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