Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said that his record-low use of the unusually large second-reserve fund he budgeted for the municipality last year exemplifies his political views and shows that he has used funds with prudence.
Ko made the remark at the Taipei City Council before entering closed-door talks with the Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Council caucus to brief councilors on budget requests his administration plans to file this session.
“This is in large part an exemplification of my political beliefs. I budget what I think the city needs, and even if I budget a lot of money, I do not squander it,” he said.
Taipei has been “fortunate” that it has been battered by fewer typhoons this year, which meant the second-reserve fund, which is typically used to finance disaster relief efforts, was untouched, he said.
The budget proposal for the Summer Universiade, which Taipei is to host in August next year, makes up the largest proportion of the budget with NT$6.9 billion (US$218.9 million) earmarked for the event this year, Ko said, adding that the city would look for ways to spend the money wisely.
The mayor also touted the Taipei Department of Education’s “CooC-Cloud” online learning materials database and his proposal to buy every student in Taipei a tablet computer so that they can use the database.
“As people are not born equal, the government should ensure that people are at least granted equal access to medication and education,” Ko said.
Ko said that people’s right to education should not be affected by their financial wellbeing or where they live, so he fully supports the CooC-Cloud system, which he said would grant everyone a basic level of education as long as they have access to the Internet.
The city has earmarked NT$100 million for the tablet computers, but the overall budget would likely increase, Ko said.
In other developments, it has been claimed that Taipei Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Beatrice Hsieh (謝佩霓) is going to resign.
Hsieh yesterday was absent at a city council question-and-answer session, sending her department deputy commissioner Lee Li-chu (李麗珠) in her place.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Wang Hsin-yi (王欣儀) said that Hsieh is likely to tender her resignation tomorrow, citing sources within the municipal government.
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