Effective from September 1, 2012, land expropriation is compensated by "market price". In response to this new policy, Taichung City Government mobilized in July 2012 all the staff of Land Administration Bureau and Land Offices to investigate and appraise the market prices for the land to be expropriated in the second half of 2012. All the valuation procedures were completed in only one month and all the expropriationtasks were carried out smoothlyby the end of 2012. Meanwhile, the evaluations of 925 pieces of land in the 51 projects to be expropriated in 2013 were also completed on schedule by the end of 2012.
Upholding the spirit of fairness and justice to carry out the new land expropriation policy, the Land Administration Bureau has been helping and supervising many government agencies within and without the Taichung City Government (such as the Construction Bureau and Water Resources Bureau of the Taichung City Government and the Water Resources Agency, the Railway Reconstruction Bureau and the Armaments Bureau of National Defense Ministry outside the Taichung City Government) to prepare for the land expropriation projects and evaluate and review them in terms of their public interest, necessity and legality after they are announced. In the past six months, the LAB has held public hearings, negotiatedprices, sent out notices, and resolved objections under the new system. We have been gradually living up to the expectations of our society for“residencejustice”.
In the long process of law amendment by the central government, Mayor Hu has always advocated that land expropriation must be compensated by market price, even if the concept would substantially increase the cost of public construction. It is the rights and interests of the general public that carry weight when the Taichung City Governmentformulates any policies. We vow to create a win-win situation for the people and the public construction.