Taipei, Sept. 20 (CNA) Households that fell victim to flooding asa result of Typhoon Fanapi, which battered parts of southern andeastern Taiwan Sunday, are expected to receive NT$30,000 insubsidies, an Economics Ministry official said Monday.

The central government will supply NT$20,000 in subsidies whilelocal governments will provide NT$10,000, Wu Yueh-hsi, deputydirector general of the Water Resources Agency, told the Central NewsAgency.

"President Ma Ying-jeou has instructed the Ministry of EconomicAffairs to prepare funding for the subsidy program," he said.

Wu said that according to regulations on subsidizing floodvictims, households inundated by water at least 50 centimeters deepare entitled to up to NT$20,000 in subsidies from local governments.The money can be halved, however, depending on the financialcapability of the local governments.

After Typhoon Morakot, which devastated parts of southern andeastern Taiwan in August last year, the central government earmarkedspecial funding to offer NT$20,000 to each household affected by thestorm. Together with another NT$20,000 offered by private charityfunds, the households received NT$40,000 each in subsidies. Localgovernments did not offer subsidies because the amount was deemedsufficient.

Meanwhile, President visited Kaohsiung City to survey damage fromthe typhoon and asked the city government to offer subsidies to helpbuildings install water barriers to keep floodwater from enteringbasements.

Typhoon Fanapi caused flooding in 77 boroughs in Kaohsiung City,eight townships in Kaohsiung County and 11 townships in PingtungCounty.

The number of households that qualified for the subsidy programswas not immediately available.

(By Lin Shu-yuan, Wang Shu-fen & Bear Lee)
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