It is possible to raise NT$2 trillion (US$61.92 billion) for transportation projects, but the staggering amount could crowd out other projects, Directorate-General of Budgeting, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) Minister Chen Shu-tzu (陳淑姿) said yesterday at a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wu Ping-jui (吳秉叡) asked the DGBAS whether it could source funds for a high-speed railway network linking the east and west coasts, a Hualien-Taitung expressway and an extension of National Freeway No. 6 eastward to Hualien as proposed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Fu Kun-chi (傅崐萁).
Fu proposed draft special acts on the three proposed construction projects.
Photo: CNA
Major construction projects have to undergo viability and cost-effectiveness assessments before being forwarded to the National Development Council for deliberation, Chen said.
If the council approves a project that would cost a significant amount, the DGBAS would initiate talks with other government agencies to source funding, he said.
However, if the Legislative Yuan were to approve projects of the scale that have been proposed, the funding would affect many other major building projects, she said, urging the legislature to take utmost care when deliberating the issue.
The DGBAS has to balance limited funding against limitless demand from the public for building projects, protect sources of income, and keep the books balanced, he said.
Separately, Citizen of the Earth Taiwan said that the legislature should withdraw the proposed projects and the government should clarify how Hualien County should proceed with development after the April 3 earthquake.
Citizen of the Earth Taiwan deputy director Huang Ching-ting (黃靖庭) said that Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu’s (韓國瑜) suggestion that discussion on the draft acts be delayed until a new minister of transportation and communications has been appointed was not a straightforward decision.
The 10-year timeframe to complete the proposed construction projects is politically motivated, Huang said, adding that Hualien residents need safe public transportation that reflects their interests.
Citizen of the Earth Taiwan Hualien Taitung Office member Liang Sheng-yue (梁聖岳) said that the April 3 earthquake highlighted the difficulties of residents in eastern Taiwan.
Fu failed to prioritize post-earthquake reconstruction bills and instead introduced empty promises, Liang said.
Lai Kuan-yu (賴冠羽), a cultural creative industry incubator consultant, said that infrastructure projects in Hualien must consider the constraints of the local environment.
Hualien needs safe roads that guarantee safe travel, not projects that have not been thought through, including the potential they have to increase traffic rates and visitor numbers, Lai said.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
RSS