The Executive Yuan yesterday denied that its decision to use a disaster reserve fund in response to the blaze at the Formosa Fun Coast (八仙海岸) water park in New Taipei City’s Bali District (八里) on Saturday last week showed favoritism over Kaohsiung, which did not receive aid from the fund after gas explosions in the city last year.
The decision to use the fund to defray expenses from the New Taipei City incident was announced on Tuesday, which prompted some netizens to accuse the central government of showing partiality for Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)-governed New Taipei City over Kaohsiung, where a major gas explosion claimed 32 lives and injured more than 300 at the end of July last year.
After the Executive Yuan’s announcement, netizens produced a chart of what they said showed differences in the government’s attitude and actions in response to the two incidents.
Executive Yuan spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun (孫立群) said the government gave Kaohsiung NT$1.5 billion (US$48.2 million) of centrally allotted tax revenue after the Kaohsiung City Government asked for NT$1.8 billion to help with reconstruction work.
“Expenses allocated for the Kaohsiung gas explosions were to help pay for rebuilding, which saw them budgeted as special centrally allocated tax revenue,” Sun said. “Therefore, the emergency reserve fund was not used.”
The funds allocated for the water park explosion — about NT$7.5 million — are to pay medical staff for overtime work, as well as for buying medical supplies when the public budget is exceeded, Sun said.
“Data provided by the Ministry of Health and Welfare shows burn injuries incurred by 400 people last year cost about NT$300 million,” Sun said. “It is estimated that at least NT$600 million will be needed to pay for treatment for those affected by the water park incident.”
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