Lienchiang County to Terminate Contract for School Project Over 20% Behind Schedule

(CNA, Lienchiang County, May 21, by reporter Pan Hsin-tung) The Lienchiang County Council held a county magistrate policy report today, where Magistrate Wang Chung-ming stated that for the Beigan Zhongshan Junior High School relocation project, the contractor's construction progress is lagging by over 20%. The county has already retained a lawyer and will file for termination or cancellation of the contract, as well as pursue relevant liabilities for breach of contract. The 7th regular session of the 8th Lienchiang County Council opened yesterday, with the magistrate's policy report and councilor questioning scheduled for today. KMT councilors Chou Jui-kuo and Chen Yu-fa pointed out the low quality of the Tanghoudao access road project in Beigan, describing the road surface as a "dog-skin plaster" and noting that the Tanghou beach was damaged as a result. The Zhongshan Junior High School relocation project, which was not mentioned in the policy report, has seen less than 3% progress in over two years since construction began, a severe delay. KMT councilor Tsao Erh-chang emphasized that the county government has long tolerated contractors arbitrarily extending work periods, making the government culpable for the poor quality. Wang Chung-ming responded that the Tanghoudao access road and the Zhongshan Junior High School relocation projects were contracted to the same construction company, stating it was just bad luck to encounter a contractor with poor quality. However, he affirmed that actions will be taken according to the Government Procurement Act and contract specifications, applying penalties and demanding corrections as necessary. Wang stated that to resolve the delays in the school project, besides hiring external experts and scholars to form a review panel, the matter was also referred to the Public Construction Commission for coordination. A meeting on the 12th concluded that since the project delay of over 20% violates the contract, the county government will retain a lawyer to file for termination or cancellation of the contract and pursue related legal responsibilities. Wang also added that the Tanghoudao access road project has faced many challenges and is now in the acceptance phase, but a third party, such as a structural engineers' association, has been commissioned to assist with the inspection. The contractor will also be required to take responsibility for restoring Tanghou beach. (Editor: Lin Shu-hui) 1150521