Keelung's Duck Boat Procurement Accused of Illegality, Hsieh Kuo-liang: Absolutely No Preferential Treatment
Keelung City Councilor Cheng Wen-ting accused Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang of favoritism towards vendors in the city's amphibious tourist bus "duck boat" procurement case, alleging that procurement procedures were bypassed. Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang guaranteed that there was absolutely no issue of preferential treatment.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 17:47
- 🔍 Collected: May 12, 2026 at 18:02 (15 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 14, 2026 at 06:32 (36h 29m after Collected)
Central News
(Central News Agency reporter Shen Ru-feng, Keelung, 12th) Keelung City Councilor Cheng Wen-ting of the Democratic Progressive Party today filed a complaint with prosecutors, alleging that the city government's procurement of amphibious tourist buses, known as "duck boats," bypassed relevant procurement procedures, accusing Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang of preferential treatment for vendors. Hsieh Kuo-liang stated that he guarantees there is absolutely no issue of preferential treatment.
The city government procured two amphibious vehicles, with a winning bid of NT$49.98 million. In March this year, when the city government explained the progress and planning to the city council, it stated that in addition to procuring the vehicles, it would subsequently bear expenses such as customs duties, commodity taxes, and business taxes in accordance with the law, with the total estimated taxes and fees being approximately NT$30 million.
The city government stated that there is also an additional NT$41 million for the construction of a launching ramp and shore facilities. These two expenses are planned to be handled through an additional budget. The duck boats are expected to arrive in Taiwan successively by the end of this year and early next year, with the hope of commencing passenger service by next summer vacation.
Cheng Wen-ting pointed out today that Hsieh Kuo-liang, leveraging the support of the majority of councilors in the city council, passed the duck boat-related budget without any feasibility assessment. It was only later discovered that customs duties and pier improvement projects were underbudgeted, leading to a budget expansion to over NT$100 million.
She believes that Hsieh Kuo-liang reversed procedures by procuring the vehicles first and then increasing the budget. Furthermore, she alleges that the original large contract, exceeding NT$100 million, was split into vehicle procurement and pier improvement projects, circumventing the "large procurement" regulations of the Government Procurement Act, which is clearly illegal. Therefore, she filed a complaint with the Keelung District Prosecutors Office, accusing Hsieh Kuo-liang of preferential treatment for vendors.
Hsieh Kuo-liang stated today during his administrative report at the city council that he guarantees to all parties that there is absolutely no issue of preferential treatment in the duck boat procurement case, urging citizens to rest assured. He added that since he took office this term, none of the accusations against the city government regarding integrity issues have ever been substantiated. The city government will continue to work hard for its citizens and promote city affairs.
Tsai Fu-ning, Director of the Keelung City Government's Department of Economic Affairs, stated that the city government humbly accepts the supervision of the city council and will cooperate with the investigation. All procurement procedures were conducted through open bidding and open review, with no special preferential treatment for any業者. (Editor: Li Hsi-chang) 1150512
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(Central News Agency reporter Shen Ru-feng, Keelung, 12th) Keelung City Councilor Cheng Wen-ting of the Democratic Progressive Party today filed a complaint with prosecutors, alleging that the city government's procurement of amphibious tourist buses, known as "duck boats," bypassed relevant procurement procedures, accusing Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang of preferential treatment for vendors. Hsieh Kuo-liang stated that he guarantees there is absolutely no issue of preferential treatment.
The city government procured two amphibious vehicles, with a winning bid of NT$49.98 million. In March this year, when the city government explained the progress and planning to the city council, it stated that in addition to procuring the vehicles, it would subsequently bear expenses such as customs duties, commodity taxes, and business taxes in accordance with the law, with the total estimated taxes and fees being approximately NT$30 million.
The city government stated that there is also an additional NT$41 million for the construction of a launching ramp and shore facilities. These two expenses are planned to be handled through an additional budget. The duck boats are expected to arrive in Taiwan successively by the end of this year and early next year, with the hope of commencing passenger service by next summer vacation.
Cheng Wen-ting pointed out today that Hsieh Kuo-liang, leveraging the support of the majority of councilors in the city council, passed the duck boat-related budget without any feasibility assessment. It was only later discovered that customs duties and pier improvement projects were underbudgeted, leading to a budget expansion to over NT$100 million.
She believes that Hsieh Kuo-liang reversed procedures by procuring the vehicles first and then increasing the budget. Furthermore, she alleges that the original large contract, exceeding NT$100 million, was split into vehicle procurement and pier improvement projects, circumventing the "large procurement" regulations of the Government Procurement Act, which is clearly illegal. Therefore, she filed a complaint with the Keelung District Prosecutors Office, accusing Hsieh Kuo-liang of preferential treatment for vendors.
Hsieh Kuo-liang stated today during his administrative report at the city council that he guarantees to all parties that there is absolutely no issue of preferential treatment in the duck boat procurement case, urging citizens to rest assured. He added that since he took office this term, none of the accusations against the city government regarding integrity issues have ever been substantiated. The city government will continue to work hard for its citizens and promote city affairs.
Tsai Fu-ning, Director of the Keelung City Government's Department of Economic Affairs, stated that the city government humbly accepts the supervision of the city council and will cooperate with the investigation. All procurement procedures were conducted through open bidding and open review, with no special preferential treatment for any業者. (Editor: Li Hsi-chang) 1150512
Choose to stand with facts. Your every sponsorship is the power to uphold press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news in real time.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.