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Talk of the day -- Audit Office warns of debt, outdated airport
2010/07/29 13:24:48 |
The National Audit Office (NAO) on Wednesday warned of the severity of outdated runways at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and Taiwan's growing national debt in its annual report on government revenue and expenditure for 2009.
The following are excerpts from local media coverage of the issue on July 29, 2010:
United Daily News:
The NAO said in the report that the service period of the airport's two runways expired more than 10 years ago and can no longer accommodate needs, which it said seriously undermines the airport's international competitiveness.
The problem can be attributed to the fact that an airport renovation project has yet to be finalized after undergoing three revisions over the past 10 years, according to the office.
The NAO noted that the north runway has been in operation for 31 years and the south runway has been in service since 1984. Pilots and air traffic controllers have been put under great pressure out of fear that accidents could happen at any time, the office said, adding that the runways need a complete overhaul.
The report said that after a national airport company is set up as scheduled in 2011, the first task it will face is implementing a NT$100 billion (US$3.12 billion) runway upgrade plan that involves partially revamping the north runway and completely overhauling the south runway and its taxi paths. The work is expected to take one and a half years.
The final phase of the plan will involve a full overhaul of the north runway and its taxi paths, scheduled to be complete in 2014. The Liberty Times:
Taiwan's national debt stood at NT$4.30 trillion as of the end of 2009, an amount that would take 62 years to pay back, even without the addition of new debts, according to the NAO report.
The office said that the long-term national debt had increased by NT$1.41 trillion in eight years -- from NT$2.64 trillion in 2001 to NT$4.10 trillion in 2009.
If the NT$240 billion in short-term debt is included, the figure becomes NT$4.30 trillion, the NAO said.
The NAO issued sharp criticism and warnings. It said that the shopping vouchers issued to all residents in Taiwan following the economic downturn did not have much effect.
The report also states that while about 20 percent of lands at science park zones are left idle, the government has drawn public outrage by seeking to launch new science land development projects.
The NAO also raised questions surrounding the controversial second-generation national health insurance system and financial problems in the labor insurance system.
The office ascribed the national debt spike to declining government revenue as a result of various tax cuts and the financial crisis, as well a shortfall in the government budget for debt servicing. It urged government agencies to seriously reconsider tax cuts and reduce spending to prevent further spiralling into debt.
(By Y.L. Kao)
enditem/bc
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