Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) yesterday accused the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) of inaction over the possible bankruptcy of a state-owned firm.
Taiwan Rolling Stock Co (TRSC) is in danger of declaring bankruptcy if it fails to deliver on a NT$15.4 billion (US$515.7 million) contract to build 256 EMU800 commuter railway carriages for Taiwan Railway Administration (TRA), also a state-owned company, said Tuan, who called the second press conference in as many days about the case.
TRSC and TRA have been engaged in a contract dispute since TRA accused TRSC of breach of contract because it hired a Japanese braking system subcontractor that was ranked second on the priority list behind a German company, the lawmaker said, adding that the dispute is under arbitration.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
The government controls 63.64 percent of TRSC shares and the MOEA cam appoint TRSC chairman and general manager.
“It is ridiculous that Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-hsiang (施顏祥) and the MOTC, which supervises the TRA, both sat on the sidelines and did nothing to resolve the dispute, which could jeopardize Taiwan’s transportation services if the train carriages are not delivered on time,” Tuan said.
Ho Hsien-lin (何獻霖), director of TRA’s Rolling Stock Department, told the press conference that the TRA insisted that the carriage should be built as the contract requires.
Tuan on Tuesday disclosed a leaked video clip showing TRSC general manager Huang Hung-tu (黃鴻都) telling a company meeting that the company was in danger of bankruptcy and that Shih had made clear he “could not care less” about the crisis.
In the five-minute video clip that Tuan obtained from unidentified sources, Huang was shown addressing a TRSC meeting on July 20, saying that the company could close with a loss of between NT$1 billion and NT$6 billion and Shih said he would not handle the crisis “even if TRSC declared bankruptcy because I have too many more important things to take care of.”
“It’s unbelievable that the minister of economic affairs, who could appoint TRSC’s chairman and general manager, would turn a blind eye to the faltering state-controlled enterprise and ignore its operation efficiency,” Tuan said on Tuesday.
Even more unthinkable how why TRSC could be on the verge of bankruptcy when the company was able to secure contracts to build 256 EMU800 commuter railway carriages for the TRA, 156 carriages for the Taipei MRT and 64 for the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, Tuan said.
The State-owned Enterprise Commission’s deputy director, Chang Wen-hsiung (張文雄), said on Tuesday that TRSC’ operations appeared to be normal, with a net profit of NT$83 million last year and NT$16 million as of the end of July.
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
RSS