At the Cabinet's weekly meeting Thursday, Premier Cho Jung-tai received a briefing on the government's response measures to Typhoon Danas, which struck Taiwan in early July; the extremely heavy rains on July 28; and the current operations of the Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan forward command center for post-disaster recovery. The premier said that Typhoon Danas caused severe damage in the Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan region, and that the heavy precipitation recently brought by southwesterly air currents posed further serious challenges to disaster-stricken areas. In response, the government established a forward command center in the Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan region to accelerate post-disaster recovery by coordinating the work of ministries and agencies.
Premier Cho emphasized that timely allocation of resources is crucial to carrying out post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. Thus, in addition to the previously announced Typhoon Danas relief plan, the Executive Yuan has also approved the issuance of home reconstruction payments to help residents repair damaged housing; work allowances to incentivize labor participation in reconstruction efforts; and assistance grants for shops and street vendors impacted by the disaster. In addition, financial aid for flood relief will be provided to areas flooded by heavy rain to support the recovery and reconstruction of affected homes.
With more than 30,000 households impacted by the typhoon, Premier Cho further highlighted the need to provide longer-term and more reliable support through special legislation. To this end, the Executive Yuan will propose a special act to facilitate Typhoon Danas recovery efforts. The bill, intended to enhance and expedite reconstruction, will be submitted to the Legislative Yuan for review.