Taiwan Today

Under the guidance of Premier Wu Den-yih, the Council for Economic Planning and Development under the Executive Yuan will soon come up with a comprehensive sustainable development outline plan for the Kaohsiung metropolitan area, according to sources familiar with the matter. The plan, to be implemented in stages, is expected to incorporate transportation infrastructure construction, land development and the introduction of industry to promote the region’s long-term growth in southern Taiwan. Under the plan, the initial focus will be on the introduction of value-added industries such as the development of air and sea logistics related to the Kaohsiung free trade port area, the petroleum sector, as well as the software, metal, precision machinery and tourism sectors. The government is aiming to provide a spark through the plan to help the greater Kaohsiung area’s economy take off and to address the development imbalances between northern and southern Taiwan. The action plan represents the first of its kind regarding the development of the Kaohsiung region since the government began raising the issue of north-south imbalances decades ago. According to the sources, the premier has been making frequent moves recently on launching related construction projects in the region. Besides placing the CEPD in charge of drafting the sustainable development plan, Wu has also instructed the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to move forward with a Kaohsiung Port area transportation infrastructure building plan. On Jan. 4, the MOTC briefed the premier on feasibility studies regarding four large-scale infrastructure projects in the north, south and east with a total outlay of about NT$130 billion (US$4.08 billion). Funds for the projects are expected to begin to be allocated in 2011. The plans include NT$40 billion for improvements to the Suao-Hualien Highway, NT$70 billion for the construction of an expressway linking Kaohsiung Port to Freeway No. 10, as well as NT$14 billion for an underground railway project to Chaozhou Township in Pingtung County and NT$10.7 billion for runway upgrades at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The expressway project is expected to help expand the port’s land area, assist in the development of the free trade area, attract investors and raise greater Kaohsiung’s economic position. Besides the transportation infrastructure construction projects, the CEPD recently briefed Wu on the initial plans regarding land development and accompanying measures. Wu indicated that in the future, the south side of Kaohsiung Port will hold a key position in shipping and that older areas on the north side, including Yancheng district, will be renovated with parts to serve as a tourism recreation area that will include a cruise liner port. (SB)