Premier Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) has pledged to accomplish all reconstruction work resulting from the 921 earthquake within five years, specifically in Nantou and Tai-chung counties -- the hardest-hit areas -- Yunlin, Changhua and Miaoli Counties, and Taichung City.
The pledge is part of the central government's blueprint to expedite reconstruction.
According to a draft plan submitted to the Cabinet by the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD), the restoration project will be divided into three phases.
PHOTO: SUNG CHI-HSIUNG, LIBERTY TIMES
* Beginning immediately and lasting until the end of November, the government will map an outline for urban renewal in affected areas;
* From December to March, the focus will shift to selecting and implementing projects;
* From March 11, 2000 to Sept. 20, 2004, the focus will be on achieving the overall goals of the renewal program.
Siew has asked the CEPD to draw up a more detailed scheme for deliberation by next week.
During yesterday's meeting, Siew urged the government and civil groups to cooperate in the reconstruction project, especially to prevent overlaps in the deployment of crucial resources.
"I hope the reconstruction program will respond to local conditions, as well as take into account the opinions of scholars and grass-roots community leaders to avoid squandering resour-ces,'' Siew said after the meeting.
"Basically, our principle is to take care of all the earthquake survivors and to ease their difficulties; however, at the same time, we have to take fairness into account," Siew added.
In what is likely to generate more heated political discussion, however, the Cabinet has also announced it will seek to "strengthen the direct negotiating mechanism with local officials." This is seen by some analysts as an attempt to bypass the predominantly DPP city and county chiefs and go straight to the KMT-dominated township and village officials.
Vice Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (
Liu said he has arranged meetings with the Nantou and Taichung county commissioners and their township mayors this week, a move he said was meant to resolve tough questions that have arisen regarding the distribution of resources during reconstruction efforts.
This is likely to be a key focus of a press conference to be held by President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) today, in which he will further detail the government's plans for the division of labor between central and local governments.
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