■ECONOMICS
Debt relatively low: MOF
The central government’s outstanding debt totaled NT$3.887 trillion (US$120.3 billion) as of the end of August, relatively low based on the country’s GDP, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said yesterday. “The total debt as a percentage of GDP is 32.21 percent, making Taiwan’s financial status relatively healthy when compared with that of the US, Japan and other countries,” the ministry said in a statement. On Thursday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), citing figures from the Ministry of Audit, said that if liabilities such as pension and insurance obligations were factored in, the government’s overall debt actually stood at NT$19.722 trillion at the end of last year, or NT$860,000 per capita. Focusing strictly on the current national debt without commenting directly on future liabilities, the ministry said it had accumulated as a result of borrowing to finance major infrastructure projects to advance national development.
■SPORTS
Stadium’s future in question
With the high maintenance fees for the World Games Main Stadium in Kaohsiung City, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Nai-hsin (蔣乃辛) on Thursday questioned whether the Sports Affairs Council (SAC), which has taken over management of the stadium, can afford to operate it. Chiang said the SAC had set up a management division in charge of the stadium’s operations and that personnel expenses and maintenance fees are estimated to be as high as NT$250 million, while the SAC has been granted a budget of only NT$70 million. In response, SAC Minister Tai Hsia-ling (戴遐齡) said the council would spare no efforts to host large-scale international events to make good use of the equipment and facilities.
■SCIENCE
France honors ex-minister
The French government awarded former National Science Council chairman and Minister of Health Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) the Officer of the Order of the Academic Palms on Thursday night in Taipei for his contributions in science and his work promoting France-Taiwan scientific cooperation. French representative to Taiwan Patrick Bonneville praised Chen as a highly respected scientist who played a major part in bilateral research cooperation. With more than 400 joint projects, France is Taiwan’s second largest foreign research partner, following the US.
■TRAVEL
AIT begins visa lottery
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) announced yesterday that the 2011 US Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) lottery would run from today to Dec. 1. “System delays in the past caused by extremely heavy demand in the final days of the registration period have resulted in the failure of some applicants to register for the program,” the AIT said in a press release. “While the system is being upgraded, overwhelming demand could cause delays and therefore it is very important to apply early, as no entries will be accepted after 1am Dec. 1, Taiwan time, regardless of whether there are system delays during the registration period … The only source for complete and authoritative information on eligibility requirements and application procedures is available at www.dvlottery.state.gov.” It also said that all applications must be submitted online. “People born on the islands of Taiwan and Penghu are eligible to participate in the DV program, while those born elsewhere should check the link www.dvlottery.state.gov,” it said.
INFRASTRUCTURE: Work on the second segment, from Kaohsiung to Pingtung, is expected to begin in 2028 and be completed by 2039, the railway bureau said Planned high-speed rail (HSR) extensions would blanket Taiwan proper in four 90-minute commute blocs to facilitate regional economic and livelihood integration, Railway Bureau Deputy Director-General Yang Cheng-chun (楊正君) said in an interview published yesterday. A project to extend the high-speed rail from Zuoying Station in Kaohsiung to Pingtung County’s Lioukuaicuo Township (六塊厝) is the first part of the bureau’s greater plan to expand rail coverage, he told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). The bureau’s long-term plan is to build a loop to circle Taiwan proper that would consist of four sections running from Taipei to Hualien, Hualien to
The Civil Aviation Administration yesterday said that it is considering punishments for China Airlines (CAL) and Starlux Airlines for making hard landings and overworking their cabin crew when the nation was hit by Typhoon Kong-rey in October last year. The civil aviation authority launched an investigation after media reported that many airlines were forced to divert their flights to different airports or go around after failing to land when the typhoon affected the nation on Oct. 30 and 31 last year. The agency reviewed 503 flights dispatched by Taiwanese airlines during those two days, as well as weather data, flight hours
A relatively large earthquake may strike within the next two weeks, following a magnitude 5.2 temblor that shook Taitung County this morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. An earthquake struck at 8:18am today 10.2km west of Taitung County Hall in Taitung City at a relatively shallow depth of 6.5km, CWA data showed. The largest intensity of 4 was felt in Taitung and Pingtung counties, which received an alert notice, while areas north of Taichung did not feel any shaking, the CWA said. The earthquake was the result of the collision between the Philippine Plate and the Eurasian Plate, the agency said, adding
Three people have had their citizenship revoked after authorities confirmed that they hold Chinese ID cards, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said yesterday. Two of the three people were featured in a recent video about Beijing’s “united front” tactics by YouTuber Pa Chiung (八炯) and Taiwanese rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源), including Su Shi-en (蘇士恩), who displayed a Chinese ID card in the video, and taekwondo athlete Lee Tung-hsien (李東憲), who mentioned he had obtained a Chinese ID card in a telephone call with Chen, Liang told the council’s weekly news conference. Lee, who reportedly worked in
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