The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus yesterday proposed a draft statute to dun what they claimed was needed compensation from the government for the losses incurred when the government pulled the plug on plans for a Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in 2000.
"Mistaken policy is worse than corruption," said KMT whip Tseng Yung-chuan (
The KMT caucus expressed hope of pushing the draft through today's Procedure Committee in time to make it for review during Friday's legislative session.
While the move was seen by some as aimed to counter the Democratic Progressive Party government's pursuing the issue of KMT party assets, KMT caucus whip Huang Teh-fu (
According to the proposed draft, the premier, the minister of economic affairs, the director of the Council for Economic Planning and Development and other relevant decision-making officials need to shoulder responsibility for the compensation.
At the press conference yesterday, KMT Legislator Wang Chung-yu (
The KMT caucus' move yesterday echoed the call on Sunday by a group of academics that called itself the People's Alliance for Recovering Stolen National Wealth.
The group spoke out in protest of what they described as wrongheaded government policies.
They claimed that the government is becoming the country's largest "capitalist" by embezzling official properties and funds.
While the group, which includes members such as poet and social activist Chan Che (
The group had announced that its initial efforts will be on researching 10 cases of mishan-dled government spending.
Aside from the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, the KMT caucus yesterday said that it will subsequently launch similar campaigns to claim compensation from the government for costs associated with the Taichung International Airport, the Hualien Airport and costs associated with the March referendum.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
UNKNOWN TRAJECTORY: The storm could move in four possible directions, with the fourth option considered the most threatening to Taiwan, meteorologist Lin De-en said A soon-to-be-formed tropical storm east of the Philippines could begin affecting Taiwan on Wednesday next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The storm, to be named Fung-wong (鳳凰), is forecast to approach Taiwan on Tuesday next week and could begin affecting the weather in Taiwan on Wednesday, CWA forecaster Huang En-hung (黃恩鴻) said, adding that its impact might be amplified by the combined effect with the northeast monsoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the system’s center was 2,800km southeast of Oluanbi (鵝鑾鼻). It was moving northwest at 18kph. Meteorologist Lin De-en (林得恩) on Facebook yesterday wrote that the would-be storm is surrounded by