At the Cabinet's meeting today, Premier Jiang Yi-huah reiterated the central government's all-out assistance for Kaohsiung City Government in the aftermath of the deadly July 31 gas explosions.
Jiang said when he first learned of the explosions, he immediately instructed central government agencies to provide Kaohsiung with full disaster relief assistance. He had also directed the agencies to give top priority to supporting reconstruction and restoration operations, which includes repairing damaged houses, maintaining social order, offering tax breaks, extending loans, protecting workers' rights and providing medical care. The agencies should also move quickly to clear the roads and restore water, electricity and gas supplies.
"The assistance we provide to the victims must be fast, direct and meet their needs," Jiang said.
Regarding the many appeals he heard from disaster victims, Jiang said he has already asked the ministries to extend every possible assistance.
"The central and local governments should not only publicize information on the assistance measures but also take the initiative to find more effective approaches, such as setting up a task force or visiting affected residents to explain matters in person."
As for short-term employment problems in the explosion-stricken areas, Jiang has requested the Ministry of Labor and Kaohsiung City to work out measures to minimize the impact on residents' livelihoods.
Nationwide, caring citizens have poured in monetary donations topping NT$3 billion (US$100 million), nearly 99 percent of which have been forwarded to the Kaohsiung City Government, Jiang said. In addition to compensating affected residents and those injured in the blasts, the city has announced that it will provide NT$8 million (around US$266,700) to the families of each person killed. The premier also requested that the city regularly disclose its plans and actual usage of the funds, so as to assure citizens that the government is making the best use of their donations.
Also at today's meeting, the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) reported on their assistance actions for Kaohsiung. After giving special thanks to the military for emergency relief efforts in Kaohsiung as well as for a recent airplane crash in Penghu, Premier Jiang asked the forces to continue supporting Kaohsiung City in the recovery and reconstruction stages. The premier also instructed the MOEA to track the removal of residual propene and other petrochemical materials from the damaged pipelines and ensure that the work is completed in the shortest amount of time.
As for concerns about the future handling of industrial pipelines, Premier Jiang hopes local governments across Taiwan can learn from this unfortunate incident and thoroughly examine the management and safety of their own underground culverts and pipelines. Meanwhile, the MOEA is implementing a new program to help local governments better manage and maintain underground pipelines. Jiang suggested the MOEA use this program to convene experts, industry representatives as well as local authorities to help inspect underground industrial pipelines and to guide responsible agencies on proper maintenance and inspection practices.
The premier also tasked Minister without Portfolio Hsu Chun-yat with gathering all related ministries to study how pipelines are managed in other countries in order to strengthen Taiwan's current mechanisms. The possibility of law changes should also be explored to ensure Taiwan has a comprehensive regulatory framework for the installation, inspection and maintenance of underground pipelines. Jiang called for full cooperation from the ministries to complete the work as quickly as possible.
The petrochemical industry has been vital to both the country and Kaohsiung City, Jiang said. It has played an important role in bolstering the city's economic development and creating jobs for local residents, but the recent gas explosions have left a profound impact on the industry and raised public concerns over the safety issues. The central and local governments share the consensus that safety must come first for the industry's development. The Executive Yuan has instructed the MOEA to cooperate with Kaohsiung City and other local authorities to plan industry development that addresses a balance among economic growth, local employment and public safety.