The Taipei City Government will “definitely not” subsidize Taipei 101’s year-end firework show, city officials said yesterday at a Taipei City Council question-and-answer session.
Taipei Department of Tourism and Information Commissioner Chien Yu-yan (簡余晏) and Taipei Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Chung Yung-feng (鍾永豐) rejected the possibility when asked by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor Wang Wei-chung (王威中) to respond to Taipei 101’s request that the municipal government help fund the fireworks show.
Taipei 101 spokesman Michael Liu (劉家豪) on Wednesday told reporters that progress on fundraising for the event, which bears a NT$45 million (US$1.43 million) price tag, had been slow.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
A number of directors proposed at a board meeting to ask the city government for funds, Liu said, adding that such a proposal was “unprecedented.”
Liu said that Taipei 101 began soliciting sponsorship for the show in June, but has been met with indifference.
In August the company turned to government agencies, including the Taipei Department of Tourism and Information and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, in the hope of raising money, Liu said.
The department turned down the request, citing a limited budget, he said.
The Taipei City Government has never subsidized the fireworks, Chien said yesterday, adding that she has accompanied Taipei 101 employees to solicit subsidies from stores in the Xinyi District (信義) commercial zone.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Su Jain-rong (蘇建榮) fielded questions from lawmakers about the fireworks show at a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee.
Several legislators asked Su whether the fireworks show would proceed as scheduled, quoting Minister of Economic Affairs Sheu Yu-jer (許虞哲), who last week said that funding for the event would not be a problem and that the show would not be downsized or toned down.
The fireworks show would be held as planned, Su said, adding that the ministry would assist Taipei 101 to raise funds.
Additional reporting by Sean Lin
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
The Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
RSS