Gov’t Tender for Aerial Survey Aircraft: Plans to Spend NT$1.7 billion for a 7-year Lease

 Gov’t Tender for Aerial Survey Aircraft: Plans to Spend NT$1.7 billion for a 7-year Lease

Source: China Times

October 14, 2019

The two 40-year-old aircarft used in aerial remote survey by the Agricultural Aviation Institute under the  Council of Agricultural (CAO) for aerial photography are slated for replacement. The COA plans to lease the aircraft from the private sector, and the government will spend nearly NT$1.7 billion to lease from the winning bidder for 7 years. However, purchasing 2 new aircraft would only cost a little over NT$700 million.

KMT legislator Ma Wen-chun says that this public tender is too beneficial to the private sector; therefore, it needs a high degree of scrutiny. He hopes that it will not be another case of a Green camp public tender benefiting its own people.

Kuan Li-hao, director of the Rural and Forestry Aerial Survey Institute, indicates that the funds for the seven-year lease, besides purchasing new aircraft, include hiring pilots, maintenance and fuel costs, adding that if directly purchasing the new aircraft, it will be entrusted to the aerial services brigade for management and maintenance, which will also entail invisible costs, and not necessarily be cost effective.

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