Taipei, Dec. 1 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian urged legislators across the party spectrum Monday to support his "new 10 major construction projects" idea to create more favorable conditions for Taiwan's progress and prosperity.
The president made the remarks when he and other government officials presided over the inauguration ceremony of a new tunnel, one of the most difficult sections of the Keelung River dredging project. With the inauguration of the tunnel, the construction work to divert floodwater is 52.1 percent complete, a little ahead of schedule.
Chen noted that even though the nearly 2.5-km tunnel passes through three faults and a great number of disused mineshafts, the construction workers completed the tunnel in little over a year.
He also lauded the power and efficiency of his Cabinet with regard to the project, saying that after the project is completed at the end of next year, it will effectively reduce the water level of the lower reaches of the Keelung River and will prevent flooding for up to 200 years.
He noted that when Typhoon Lynn hit Taiwan in 1987, the floodwater inundated houses up to two stories high in Hsichi, Taipei County. However, the Taiwan provincial government did nothing to address the problem. After the streamlining of the provincial government, the project received support from then-Premier Vincent Siew and was further implemented with the continued efforts of his successors, premiers Chang Chun-hsiung and Yu Shyi-kun.
Chen said that if the project, which was delayed for 12 years, could have been started earlier, it would have gone far toward relieving flooding problems in greater Taipei.
He expressed hope that legislators will support the new 10 major construction projects unveiled earlier by the Executive Yuan, including making rail transport faster and more convenient, building mass transit systems in central, northern and southern Taiwan, building a sewage system, constructing the third freeway and intercontinental container center in Kaohsiung Harbor, upgrading universities and research centers, and improving the information and communication network in Taiwan.
Chen claimed that public wants these projects to be implemented as they will upgrade the overall competitive edge of Taiwan and improve the quality of life. "We have no time to wait for 12 years for every major construction project, " the president said, adding that "if the dredging of the Keelung River had not started, we would pay a hefty price today." "Similarly, if we do not implement the new 10 major projects today, we will surely regret it tomorrow," he added.