Hualien County lawmakers yesterday criticized Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁) for leading opposition parties in stalling the central government’s budget, with much-needed infrastructure funding, while Typhoon Kong-rey is today expected to make landfall on Taiwan’s east coast.
Hualien County Councilor Chang Mei-hui (張美慧) of the DPP said that Fu, who represents a Hualien County constituency in the legislature, is willing to sacrifice the safety and livelihoods of county residents to play partisan politics alongside the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) by blocking the review of the fiscal budget plan.
“Fu, as party caucus whip, is leading KMT legislators in stalling the fiscal budget, blocking it from the review process at legislative committees. In doing so, Fu is denying central government funding earmarked for infrastructure projects and social welfare programs for Hualien County,” she told a news conference, attended by fellow Hualien County councilors Hu Jen-shun (胡仁順) and Lin Tse-shih (林則葹) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Photo courtesy of the Democratic Progressive Party
With Typhoon Typhoon Kong-rey set to land in Hualien County, residents would need money for maintenance and repairs of roads and bridges, but funding for those projects are being held up in the legislature, DPP spokeswoman Han Ying (韓瑩) said.
The Central Weather Administration said the typhoon would be the biggest storm to hit Taiwan in 27 years.
The DPP has been supportive of Hualien County residents, increasing a subsidy fund for the area from NT$13.2 billion (US$412.1 million) in 2016 to NT$19.7 billion, Han said.
Chang said that the Hualien County Government has a deficit, and depends on funding and subsidies from the central government to implement local projects and upgrade transportation networks.
“Now this big typhoon is coming with the potential to cause significant damage and loss of life, while destroying people’s properties,” she said. “People need the funds for recovery. Would Fu, the KMT or the TPP take responsibility?”
Hu said that Hualien County frequently sustains the most damage from typhoons and earthquakes, “but Fu does not care about people’s lives and property.”
The fiscal budget for next year contains funding for local governments to build early warning systems, as well as for projects to install sensors on slopes to detect landslides and monitor floods, and to boost civilian emergency relief and recovery efforts from natural disasters, he said.
The government has earmarked funds for upgrading transportation networks in Hualien County, including to bolster Suhua Highway (Highway No. 9) and other roads and bridges against natural disasters, but “Fu is blocking these budget items from being approved,” he said.
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