The detention of Nantou County Commissioner Peng Pai-hsien (
Peng's detention by prosecutors came a day after he presented himself for questioning over his suspected involvement in the misappropriation of relief funds.
Hsieh Kuo-hsin (
Hsieh said that he was aware that many Nantou County residents had been complaining about Peng's handling of matters relating to the appropriation and allocation of relief funds.
"I would say that most residents in Nantou must have been greatly excited by the news that Peng is under serious investigation as they have long been waiting for this moment," Hsieh said.
Good chance for a fresh start
"The action of prosecutors may serve to teach the county government a lesson that they should handle reconstruction affairs well ... It's a good chance to examine and restart the recovery exercise," he said.
Hsieh, however, warned that there was a possibility that the detention of the head of the county government may further drag out the already sluggish post-quake reconstruction effort.
"Some county government staff may feel intimidated in carrying out their duties particularly when they are related to the allocation of funds," he said.
Staff of the 921 Earthquake Disaster Reconstruction Foundation (
Chang Shao-nung (張邵農) from the foundation said that whether the deputy county commissioner, who now takes over Peng's role, is capable of taking full control of the reconstruction work in Nantou remains to be seen.
Fear may slow reconstruction
"Most important of all, although there should definitely be some investigations to get to the bottom of the situation, many staff of the county government may become over-cautious when handling cases involving relief funds, severely dragging out the whole reconstruction effort," he said.
"They may tend, for example, to be more conservative in granting aid to victims if they are not sure which regulations should be applied to the case ... They may hesitate to sign the documents in fear of being suspected of mishandling funds," Chung said.
Huang Jong-tsun (
Previously some employees there would work overtime until 8pm but now most of them just leave the office at 5pm.
"All the documents have been piling up on Peng's and the deputy commissioner's desks."
Huang said the suspicions of possible misappropriation of relief funds have also made fund-raising for relief efforts difficult because many have lost confidence in the efficiency and effectiveness of government agencies in handling such funds.
ANNOUNCEMENT: People who do not comply with the ban after a spoken warning would be reported to the police, the airport company said on Friday Taoyuan International Airport Corp on Friday announced that riding on vehicles, including scooter-suitcases (also known as “scootcases”), bicycles, scooters and skateboards, is prohibited in the airport’s terminals. Those using such vehicles should manually pull them or place them on luggage trolleys, the company said in a Facebook post. The ban intends to maintain order and protect travelers’ safety, as the airport often sees large crowds of people, it said, adding that it has stepped up publicity for the regulation, and those who do not comply after a spoken warning would be reported to the police. The company yesterday said that
NEW YEAR’S ADDRESS: ‘No matter what threats and challenges Taiwan faces, democracy is the only path,’ William Lai said, urging progress ‘without looking back’ President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday urged parties across the political divide to democratically resolve conflicts that have plagued domestic politics within Taiwan’s constitutional system. In his first New Year’s Day address since becoming president on May 20 last year, Lai touched on several issues, including economic and security challenges, but a key emphasis was on the partisan wrangling that has characterized his first seven months in office. Taiwan has transformed from authoritarianism into today’s democracy and that democracy is the future, Lai said. “No matter what threats and challenges Taiwan faces, democracy is the only path for Taiwan,” he said. “The only choice
QUIET START: Nearly a week after applications opened, agencies did not announce or promote the program, nor did they explain how it differed from other visitor visas Taiwan has launched a six-month “digital nomad visitor visa” program for foreign nationals from its list of visa-exempt countries who meet financial eligibility criteria and provide proof of work contracts. To apply, foreign nationals must either provide proof that they have obtained a digital nomad visa issued by another country or demonstrate earnings based on age brackets, the Bureau of Consular Affairs said. Applicants aged 20 to 29 must show they earned an annual salary of at least US$20,000 or its equivalent in one of the past two years, while those aged 30 or older must provide proof they earned US$40,000 in
TECH CORRIDOR: Technology centers and science parks in the south would be linked, bolstering the AI, semiconductor, biotech, drone, space and smart agriculture industries The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a “Southern Silicon Valley” project to promote the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor industry in Chiayi County, Tainan, Pingtung County and Kaohsiung. The plan would build an integrated “S-shaped semiconductor industry corridor” that links technology centers and science parks in the south, Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said yesterday after a Cabinet meeting. The project would bolster the AI, semiconductor, biotech, drone, space and smart agriculture industries, she said. The proposed tech corridor would be supported by government efforts to furnish computing power, workforce, supply chains and policy measures that encourage application and integration
RSS