[Comprehensive News from Qiaobao.com] Recently, Taiwanese media reported that under the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Taiwan's "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" began to solicit donations from Taiwanese people for Ukrainian refugee supplies on March 7. The total number of private donations to Ukraine reached 650 tons. The freight cost of air freight to Europe via DHL reaches 240 million yuan (NT$, the same below), but the Taiwan authorities’ annual international aid budget is only more than 300 million yuan. Who will pay for this huge freight?
The picture shows the tragic situation in Mariupol during the Russo-Ukrainian War. (Photo source: Associated Press)
According to reports from Taipei Zhongshi News Network and TVBS, Taiwan's "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" launched a collection of materials to donate to Ukrainian refugees last month, and raised a total of 650 tons of materials and more than 900 million yuan in donations. However, Taiwan's " The "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" originally estimated that 50 tons of materials would be collected, so it budgeted 16 million yuan for DHL freight. As a result, 650 tons of materials were collected. Now it is estimated that the freight will increase to 240 million yuan.
Regarding this, Cui Jinglin, deputy spokesperson of Taiwan's "Ministry of Foreign Affairs", said on the 23rd that they are still discussing with the Accounting and Accounting Office of the Executive Yuan of Taiwan. Due to the impact of the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the COVID-19 epidemic, global logistics and air freight prices continue to soar, resulting in higher freight rates.
Democratic Progressive Party legislator Luo Zhizheng previously questioned that only 50 tons of materials were expected to be collected, so the freight was estimated to be about 16 million yuan. Taiwan's "Foreign Minister" Wu Zhaoxie also admitted at the time that the 240 million yuan in material freight may be higher than the value of the materials raised. Kuomintang legislator Jiang Qichen questioned, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs only does things for publicity? If the freight is higher than the value of donated materials, it is not smart enough or pragmatic enough."
Taiwan's Executive Yuan is "also very unhappy" about the trouble caused by the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs." At present, a large amount of aid materials to Ukraine are piled up in the basement of the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs", and some are temporarily stored in Taoyuan. The "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" has to pay an additional storage fee. The "Ministry of Foreign Affairs" simply cannot afford it. It has requested support from the Executive Yuan, and it has not yet been done. Determine who will pay for this huge shipping fee. Some people are worried about whether the freight will eventually be paid by the people. (End)
