As the KMT worries that its NT$300 billion in assets could be audited, the DPP is desperately seeking ways to raise funds for its new headquarters.
"We desperately need money to purchase a permanent office for the party headquarters," said Michael You (游盈隆), deputy secretary-general of the DPP, yesterday.
For the past six years, the DPP has been paying NT$2 million a month to lease three 40-ping floors of a 16-story building located at the intersection of Shaoshing N Road and Beiping E Road in downtown Taipei.
The party began to ponder moving to a new building after it swept to power in May 2000.
However, the dream may be difficult to realize as the party has neither sufficient assets nor runs party-owned enterprises.
"I suspect we wouldn't be able to afford one-tenth, or even less of the down payment if we plan to buy a new place as big as what we're renting now," You said.
According to You, the party has saved about NT$100 million in its house-procurement fund, but offices of 1,000 pings may cost between NT$500 million and NT$600 million.
"Even though we have saved some money, it is simply not enough," You said.
Undisclosed internal financial records showed that the party's annual income last year amounted to about NT$340 million and annual expenses were about NT$320 million.
Income primarily came from the fees levied on party members and from the NT$150 million annual political-party subsidy from the central government.
Major disbursements went to personnel expenses (about 24 percent), subsidies to local chapters (about 22 percent) and administrative expenditures (about 9 percent).
To more effectively handle the procurement of a permanent headquarters, the party formed a three-person house-procurement team yesterday.
The three members are incoming party Secretary-General Chang Chun-hsiung (
They said an ideal location would be somewhere near the current headquarters.
"We would like to find a place in the vicinity of the Legislative Yuan, the Presidential Office or the Executive Yuan, although we're well aware that the real estate prices in those areas are quite expensive," Ker said.
Judging from the current real estate situation, Ker said that it seems logical to purchase a permanent office rather than renting one for the some 110 employees at the headquarters.
"I suspect we'd have to pay NT$100,000 more every month if we are to buy a place," Ker said.
Chen Zau-nan (
"We'd like to buy the place, but he wanted NT$400,000 per ping and that was just too much for us," Chen said.
"Besides, the owner later decided not to sell it."
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and
RSS