The legislature lifted a freeze yesterday on a new surveillance system for military camps built using commercial off-the-shelf technology, despite controversy surrounding the project.
The budget for the system, code-named Pan Ku, or Solid Base, had been frozen since the last session of the legislature. The freeze was lifted after a key opposition lawmaker relented.
The amount of the budget, however, remains classified.
The budget was released yesterday during a closed-door meeting of the legislature's National Defense committee.
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) Legislator Ho Min-hao (
The project is being executed by the Ministry of National Defense's communications development center, which is shrouded in secrecy and has yet to be opened to the press.
The center is responsible for the development and integration of equipment related to communication security. It also handles the compilation of encryption codes.
A prototype of the Solid Base system was completed last August, costing NT$45 million, according to a report by the Apply Daily. No information on or pictures of the system have been made available.
Ho has asked whether the center allowed a civil contractor to build the prototype without following required specifications.
Ho was not available for comment yesterday, but his aide detailed the lawmaker's questions and concerns.
"What we want to know is why the communications development center did not ask the civil contractor to build according to the specifications set out in the contract," the aide said.
"If the contractor did not follow the contract, what was the reason for holding a bid for the project ?" he asked.
The aide said Ho also wondered why the prototype was able to pass checks to become the model for follow-up systems.
"We received complaints from other companies which claim to have the same qualifications for the project," he said.
The defense ministry has not commented on the lawmaker's questions.
A senior defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the case illustrates the importance of establishing expertise in executing such projects.
"The communications development center might not intend to make any illicit profits for itself or the contractor. It just does not have enough expertise to judge between good and bad," the official said.
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