The Taipei City Government plans to create a predictable, low-risk environment for corporations participating in city development projects, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday.
Ko said that his objective was “to enhance transparency to ensure that city development projects will not run into trouble after a change in city administration.”
Past city development projects had been too unpredictable, leading companies to demand high profits with a host of related problems, said Ko, whose administration has reopened negotiations on several build-operate-transfer projects over allegedly “unreasonable” conditions negotiated by previous administrations.
Ko said his most important task as mayor was to “transform corporate culture” by introducing transparency to the negotiating process for development projects, and at the same time achieve full societal consensus for any such projects.
That would enable the city government to reduce investment risks, allowing corporations to earn smaller, but more stable profits, he said.
Ko made the comments at a city government information session on biddings for six new major city development projects, including BOT projects, leases of city land and a publicly directed urban development project. The information session follows a similar session last week on major city construction contracts.
During a dialogue between corporate executives and city officials, Shin Ruenn Construction chief executive Huang Wen-chen (黃文辰) said that his firm hopes to earn profits of more than 2 to 3 percent if it participates in city development projects, but is concerned that higher profits would attract negative media attention.
He added that he hoped Ko’s administration would be re-elected, or his firm might face a barrage of criticism from the next city administration.
A wide array of other construction and development firm executives attended the session, including Radium Life Tech Co’s (日勝生) Lin Jung-hsien (林榮顯).
Radium Life is currently engaged in mediation with the city government over the controversial MeHAS City development project, with Taipei claiming that the firm short-changed it by NT$7.6 billion (US$242 million).
Lin said that his firm would evaluate all of the city’s proposed development projects and submit a bid if there were reasonable conditions and profits.
Ko said that he welcomed the participation of any firm willing to abide by newly announced city guidelines for development project bids.
He added that Radium Life had not been placed on a blacklist restricting it from bidding on city development projects, since there is no ongoing lawsuit between the firm and city.
Farglory Group (遠雄集團), with which the city government is locked in conflict over the future of the Taipei Dome build-operate-transfer project, did not send a representative.
A tropical depression in waters east of the Philippines could develop into a tropical storm as soon as today and bring rainfall as it approaches, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, while issuing heat warnings for 14 cities and counties. Weather model simulations show that there are still considerable differences in the path that the tropical depression is projected to take. It might pass through the Bashi Channel to the South China Sea or turn northeast and move toward the sea south of Japan, CWA forecaster Yeh Chih-chun (葉致均) said, adding that the uncertainty of its movement is still high,
TAIWANESE INNOVATION: The ‘Seawool’ fabric generates about NT$200m a year, with the bulk of it sourced by clothing brands operating in Europe and the US Growing up on Taiwan’s west coast where mollusk farming is popular, Eddie Wang saw discarded oyster shells transformed from waste to function — a memory that inspired him to create a unique and environmentally friendly fabric called “Seawool.” Wang remembered that residents of his seaside hometown of Yunlin County used discarded oyster shells that littered the streets during the harvest as insulation for their homes. “They burned the shells and painted the residue on the walls. The houses then became warm in the winter and cool in the summer,” the 42-year-old said at his factory in Tainan. “So I was
THE TOUR: Pope Francis has gone on a 12-day visit to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. He was also invited to Taiwan The government yesterday welcomed Pope Francis to the Asia-Pacific region and said it would continue extending an invitation for him to visit Taiwan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the remarks as Pope Francis began a 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific on Monday. He is to travel about 33,000km by air to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, and would arrive back in Rome on Friday next week. It would be the longest and most challenging trip of Francis’ 11-year papacy. The 87-year-old has had health issues over the past few years and now uses a wheelchair. The ministry said
Discounted 72-hour Taipei Metro passes are to be offered to China Airlines passengers until Feb. 28 next year, the airline announced today. China Airlines passengers may present their boarding pass for a discount of up to 34 percent when buying a Taipei Metro 72-hour unlimited travel pass. The offer is available to international travelers on international flights bound for Taipei. Within seven days of arrival, travelers can present their boarding pass, passport and proof of flight payment at an EZfly counter in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport or Taoyuan MRT Taipei Main Station to obtain the discounted passes, the airline said. One 72-hour pass
RSS