The central government has allocated NT$300 million (US$9.36 million) in relief funds for Hualien County, and has opened an account for the public to offer donations, Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said yesterday.
Hualien was struck by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake on Wednesday, resulting in 10 deaths and leaving 1,099 injured. There are currently 660 people stranded due to road damage and 38 individuals cannot be reached.
The premier said the funds would be provided to the Hualien County Government for emergency use.
Photo: CNA
County residents would be eligible to obtain disaster relief and temporary subsidies covering their loss of income due to being unable to work and disaster victims would be exempt from paying their income tax this year, he said.
Chen, along with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Vice President William Lai (賴清德) and Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), have also pledged to donate a month’s salary each.
The premier also said that the government plans to resume water services by today, adding that he hoped Taiwan Power Co would do everything it could to repair fallen power poles and restore power.
Separately, the Cabinet had instructed the Ministry of Health and Welfare to establish a special account to take in disaster relief donations, Executive Yuan spokesman Lin Tzu-lun (林子倫) said.
The ministry said it was accepting donations through bank transfers, crowdfunding platforms and LinePay until May 3.
Disaster relief accounts are being handled by the ministry-affiliated Taiwan Foundation for Disaster Relief, and all donations to the account would be used for disaster relief and rebuilding efforts, the Department of Social Assistance and Social Work said.
Domestic donations can be made to account no. 102-005-19895-7 at the Land Bank of Taiwan Changchuen Branch (code: 005), while overseas donations may be made to the SWIFT code LBOTTWTP102 to the account named Taiwan Foundation for Disaster Relief at the same bank branch.
The crowdfunding platform for donations can be accessed at: https://wabay.tw/projects/0403twhl_earthquake?%20locale=zh-TW.
LinePay users can click on the “Donations” button and choose the “0403 Hualien Earthquake Fundraising Program” (0403 花蓮震 災募款專案).
Individuals and private organizations have also donated to relief efforts. The Lin Rong-san Foundation of Culture and Social Welfare, Union Bank, the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) and RSL Corp yesterday said they jointly donated NT$30 million to disaster relief.
On Wednesday, prominent local companies and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) pledged to donate NT$156 million. Hon Hai Technology Group is to donate NT$80 million, while Gou is to also contribute NT$60 million individually, the company and YongLin Charity Foundation said respectively in a statement.
Taishin Financial Holding Co said it would donate NT$10 million, with 60 percent of the money allocated for relief efforts in Hualien County.
Electronics company Acer Inc pledged NT$6 million. Both Hon Hai and Acer said they would immediately remit the money once specific bank accounts have been designated by relevant authorities.
Additional reporting by CNA
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first
RSS