Ma’s Ten Well-Being Projects for Central Taiwan

Ma’s Ten Well-Being Projects for Central Taiwan

The Office of Ma Ying-jeou
July 30, 2007

KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou wound up his long stay in Central Taiwan last week. In the “Chung, Chang, Tou (Taichung, Changhua, Nantou) District Economic Forum” on July 28, he proposed ten “Well-Being Projects” with the intention of building up Central Taiwan as a major area in the island’s economy. The ten projects are as follows:

1. Push forward with the merger of Taichung City and Taichung County.

2. Designate Taichung Ching Chuan Kang Airport as a hub for direct cross-Strait flights to expand air links between major cities in Northeast and Southeast Asia.

3. Complete the Green Line of Taichung’s Mass Rapid Transit System while planning a “Yellow” line between Feng-yuan and Ching-Shui Wu-Chih and an “Orange” line between Ching Chuan Kang Airport and the THSR (Taiwan High Speed Rail) Wurih Station to promote all-round development of local areas.

4. Rebuild Taichung and Changhua railway stations to promote the economic revival of the surrounding areas.

5. Speed up the completion of Taichung No. 2 and No. 4 roads; implement the extension of the No. 4 Expressway to Tungshih and the Wu-feng section of the No. 6 Expressway to improve local traffic; and build a cloverleaf interchange system for the existing expressways in the area

6. Add an interchange to the No. 3 Expressway linking Nantou city and Chushan in order to solve traffic congestion and promote local development.

7. Immediately repair the pavements along the Central Cross-Island Highway between Ku Kuan and Tehchi Reservoir for the convenience of local people and conveyance of agricultural products.

8. Set up a central branch of the Industrial Technology Research Institute.

9. Build a fishing port at Changhua

10. Formulate a new satellite park of the Central Taiwan Science Park to be located in Changhua.



Earlier, Ma Ying-jeou and his running mate Vincent Siew announced a number of economic policies, which may be summarized as the Ten National Well-Being Projects.

The Ten National Well-Being Projects

KMT grand strategy: “Strengthen the economy, Connect with the Asia Pacific Region and Adopt a Global Outlook”.

KMT three outlooks: To develop Taiwan as a Global Innovation Center, Asia Pacific Trade Hub, and Taiwan Business Operations Center.

KMT goals: 6% economic growth each year after 2008; GDP reaching US$ 20,000 by creating 100,000 jobs and reducing the unemployment rate below 3% in 2011. Put it simply, the KMT just wants to recreate the prosperity for the people.

To reach the goals mentioned above, the KMT has proposed ten national well-being projects:


1. Open up the Three Direct Links.

2. Accelerate the opening up of Mainland tourism to Taiwan with
3,000 Mainland tourists each day and 1 million Mainland tourists each year.

3. Lift the 40% investment cap for Mainland China.

4. Establish a “Local Government Finance Restructuring Fund” to improve local finances.

5. Appropriate NT$ 30 billion for a “Tourism Development Fund” to assist the development of local tourism.

6. Appropriate NT$ 30 billion for a “Local Industries Development Fund” to assist counties and cities in developing local industries.

7. Increase subsidies for traditional industries and small and medium- sized enterprises for R&D and brand marketing.

8. Increase stipend for elderly farmers from NT$ 5,000 to NT$ 6,000.

9. Push for the Third Land Reform; using a “Small Landlords, Big Tenant-Farmers” Plan to establish a retirement mechanism for elderly farmers.

10. Appropriate NT$ 150 billion for a “Rural Area Revival Fund” with the aim of reviving 4,000 new farm villages and 600,000 farming households.

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