Department of Information Technology

Mayor Ko Wen-je attended a forum discussing Taipei’s existing BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) regulations in the morning of May 17.
During his opening address, the mayor stressed that the first step to resolving a problem is to face the problem straight on. He asked the audience to look back and see how the controversial cases have led to heated discussions and mounting public concerns.
Regarding the role of city government, the mayor believes that it should take the initiative and come up with ways to solve the problem. By identifying the problem through analyzing past cases, he hopes to establish possibilities for a better future. He also pointed out that during each step of the graft removal process, people should constantly ask themselves the question that if the whole thing can be redone, which processes should be carried out differently.
Citing his own experience from working as a surgeon, Ko stressed that instead of feeding the patient steroid on a daily basis, the key is to identify the source of the problem and deal with it. While the debridement process can get quite appalling, it is necessary to ensure a healthier recovery later.
Commenting on his recent inspection of illegal structures at Guizikeng, Ko said he was baffled by how the dismantling process could be repeated 12 times, yet after each teardown the site comes back with more illegal structures and a number of civil servants being sued or listed as defendants. He also predicts that the whole process will continue to plague city hall for the next few years.
The mayor also expressed his intent to create an environment that allows civil servants to carry out their duties – something he sees as being one of the objective of the forum.