Opposition legislators yesterday called into question the central government's motives when it refused to grant the Taipei City Government's subsidy request for the Keelung River Improvements Project.
"The central government should put the people's needs first; the needs of the anti-Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) politicians should not be its top priority," said independent lawmaker Sisy Chen (陳文茜).
Chen's remark came in the wake of the Cabinet's weekly meeting, during which the Taipei City Government had asked the Cabinet to contribute NT$1.9 billion to its dredging project and the construction of levees along tributaries of the Keelung river. The city noted that it was unfair that both Keelung City and Taipei County had received a dredging subsidy from the central government, while Taipei City had not.
Chen Wei-jan (陳威仁), chief of the city's Bureau of Public Works, said that it was unfair that both Keelung City and Taipei County received a dredging subsidy from the central government.
According to Chen Wei-jan, the central government has approved a dredging subsidy of NT$4.9 billion and NT$2.7 billion to Taipei County and Keelung City respectively; yet it denied Taipei City's request of NT$1.9 billion.
Chen Wei-jan said that one couldn't help raising one's eyebrows and doubting the central government's motive if it were to skip over Taipei City's dredging subsidy request.
Denying the legislators' accusations, Hwang Jing-san (
"We fully support improving the Keelung River," said Hwang at a breakfast meeting hosted by Chen and her colleagues. "We've appropriated NT$500 million to aid the city's dredging project."
Stretching 26km long into Taipei City, the Keelung River, which is 86.4km long, is under the jurisdiction of both the central government and the Taipei City Government as it winds its way through Keelung City, Taipei County and Taipei City.
Premier Yu Shyi-kun got angry Wednesday when he learned about the slow progress of dredging along the Keelung River.
Originally slated to be accomplished by last month, Yu was told on Wednesday that the completion of the dredging project has been postponed until the end of July.
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