Control Yuan President Fredrick Chien (
At a meeting in which Cabinet ministers reported to the nation's highest supervisory body on the progress of post-quake reconstruction efforts, Chien urged the administration to intensify its disaster prevention, disaster relief, and disaster recovery activities.
Only days from the first anniversary of the 921 earthquake, which measured 7.3 on the Richter scale and killed 2,297 people, Chien noted that the previous Cabinet's handling of the once-in-a-century earthquake disaster had fallen short of the mark despite the efforts it had put in.
Therefore, he said, the new Cabinet should establish an effective regulatory mechanism for public construction projects in the region and supervise the donated funds in order to be certain they are used appropriately.
Vice Premier Chang Chun-hsiung (張俊雄), who was also present at the meeting, agreed with Chien that not only should the new government assess whether the donated funds are being used appropriately and getting to the people most in need, it should also provide the public with an accurate accounting of the funds.
Chang said that statistics as of Aug. 15 show that a total of NT$13.4 billion in government funding had been allotted to the 921 Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction Foundation (
Chang assured members of the Control Yuan yesterday that any irregularities in the distribution of 921 earthquake donations would be quickly rectified.
The foundation, which was set up in the aftermath of last year's earthquake to collect and disburse relief funds from the private sector, is to publicize its operations shortly and hold an audit.
As for contributions from foreign countries, Deputy Minster of Foreign Affairs David Lee (
But because there are restrictions on the use of medicine in Taiwan, most of the supplies have not been distributed to victims, Lee said.
But that doesn't mean the supplies won't be put to good use, he said. The foreign ministry plans to ship the supplies to Taiwan's African allies within the next week.
When it comes to housing loans, Chang said, questions over property rights have led to a low percentage of quake loans being approved. Just 20,000 out of 102,000 applications have been approved so far.
Chang said that the interior ministry would provide aid on an individual case basis and increase the budget for reconstruction work.
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