Agencies should release state-owned land they have no plans to use to the National Property Administration (NPA), which will utilize it in conformity with important national policies so as to help shore up Taiwan's financial health, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said today.
"The Ministry of Finance (MOF) will utilize these national assets in diverse ways, helping to promote local industries and contribute to urban development," noted the premier after hearing the MOF's report on this plan. He instructed the NPA to proactively assist various government agencies to take stock of national assets.
Under this four-year program, national assets will be reactivated in a cross-field, cross-agency manner to create a sustainable source of national finances. State-owned public land is expected to bring revenues of NT$80 billion (US$2.67 billion), while state-owned non-public land is expected to create revenues of NT$230 billion (US$7.67 billion, including royalty, rents and tax revenues) and attract private investment totaling NT$70 billion (US$2.33 billion).
Moreover, according to MOF Minister Chang Sheng-ford, patches of idle land located in alleys have been developed into small parks or greens through cooperation with local governments, winning widespread acclaim from the public. Meanwhile, old state-owned buildings situated in alleys have been renovated through collaboration with cultural agencies to serve as cultural and recreational centers.
According to Acting Minister of the Public Construction Commission (PCC) Yan Jeou-rong, of the 163 monitored cases which are either engineering projects conducted by the central government or local facilities subsidized by the central government, 154 have been reactivated and put to good use. Most of the public facilities alleged to have been lying idle have been found to be those built using funds raised by local governments. Starting last year, the PCC has placed those cases—totaling 183 in number with nine of those subsidized by the central government—under supervision, with quarterly tracking and monthly review by competent authorities or local governments.