Following its success in obtaining 80 percent funding for its planned establishment of a NT$6.4 billion branch of the Guggenheim Museum, Taichung hopes the central government will also pay for the city's planned NT$25 billion mass rapid transit system.
"We'll make the proposal today in the hope that the government will include the funding in its soon-to-be-finalized five-year, NT$500 billion public construction project," Taichung Mayor Jason Hu (胡志強) said.
Hu is scheduled to attend today's summit in Taichung of county and city leaders from central Taiwan
The counties and cities participating are Taichung City, Taichung County, Miaoli County, Nantou County, Chunghua County and Yunlin County.
Also attending the event will be Vice Premier Lin Hsin-i (林信義), Minister of the Interior Yu Cheng-hsien (余政憲) and Cabinet Deputy Secretary-General Liu Yu-shan (劉玉山).
The one-day event, organized by the Cabinet's Joint Service Center in Central Taiwan, is designed to expedite the development of central Taiwan and narrow the gap that exists between the more-developed northern part of the country and the less-developed southern and central regions.
According to Hu, the city plans to make three proposals, including the subway project.
"While we plan to build three lines in the Taichung metropolitan area, which will form a bow-shaped subway network, we'll begin the construction of the green line connecting the Uri station of the north-south high speed railway and Peitoon station," Hu said.
It is estimated that the 16.5km above-ground line will cost NT$25 billion to build, including the NT$13.4 billion land acquisition costs. The city hopes to start the construction project in 2006, complete it by 2011 and start operation in 2012.
The city also plans to ask the Cabinet to send the draft bill for the administrative zoning law to the legislature for further review.
If passed, the bill would pave the way for Taichung City and Taichung County to be integrated into a single municipality which would then be upgraded to come under the direct control of the central government.
The Cabinet approved the draft on July 30 this year but delayed the process of passing for fear of losing constituencies' support during next year's presidential election.
Taichung County and City have both been vying with Taipei County to have their their administrative status upgraded.
While President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has pledged to upgrade the administrative status of Taichung County and Taichung City, Taipei County Commissioner Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) has threatened to quit if the Cabinet approves the upgrading of Taichung City's status before it upgrades Taipei County's status.
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