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The Ministry of Digital Affairs, today (8th), unequivocally clarifies the misleading assertions made by Legislator Hsu regarding the allocation of funds for office spaces. The Ministry vehemently denies the claim that it has spent 4 billion NT dollars over 1.5 years on office expenses. The rental expenses for the temporary office space do not amount to 4 billion NT dollars; the lease agreement spans 6 years starting from 2024, with a total rental cost of 2.9 billion NT dollars. The monthly rent per square meter is approximately 754 NT dollars, which is deemed reasonable compared to the previous rental rate of 868 NT dollars per square meter in prime commercial areas of Taipei City. Furthermore, the office refurbishment expenses primarily encompass the installation of video conferencing equipment to accommodate the increasing preference for virtual participation in international conferences. All budget allocations for the office are transparent and have undergone scrutiny by the Legislative Yuan's Transportation Committee, as well as consensus-building among political parties.

Regarding the allegation made by Legislator Yang about the moda"seizing" land in the Dongmen market area, the moda categorically refutes such claims. The Taipei City Government has long decided to utilize the "Huaguang Special Zone 1" as the site for the Dongmen market redevelopment, while the Executive Yuan initially planned for the moda and other ministries to jointly occupy the land designated as "Huaguang Special Zone 2." This later changed to "XXing II Xing III." Neither the original "Huaguang Special Zone 2" nor the revised "Xing II Xing III" were ever designated by the Taipei City Government as the Dongmen market redevelopment site ("Huaguang Special Zone 1"). Thus, there is no basis for the allegation of land acquisition or interference with the redevelopment project.

The moda explains that during its initial establishment, it lacked suitable centralized office space, resulting in operations being spread across three locations. After confirming the unavailability of suitable state-owned properties through the Ministry of Finance's National Property Administration, a procurement process was initiated through open bidding. Among the two bidders,Shin Kong Life Insurance Co. offered the lower bid and was awarded the lease for several floors in the New Life Building, which currently serves as part of the Ministry's office space and the office of the Administration of Digital Industries . The Administration of Cyber Security remains at the Executive Yuan office.

As the lease agreement expires in 2023, and considering the absence of suitable state-owned properties and the construction timeline for a permanent office building, the Ministry has opted to renew the lease through the procurement process ( 2024/1/1-2028/12/31, with three months rent-free).

Regarding Legislator Hsu's inquiry about the meeting room and press room equipment expenses, the moda states that due to the initial setup constraints and cost-saving measures, the office initially adopted the furnishing arrangements of its predecessor. However, lacking large meeting rooms and video conferencing equipment, a procurement process was initiated in late 2022 to install conference systems, audio systems, video recording and playback systems, and online video conferencing equipment to facilitate virtual participation in international conferences. To ensure the quality of the meeting rooms, all related procurement budgets underwent a transparent tender process in accordance with government procurement regulations and were approved through three readings by the Legislative Yuan.

The Ministry of Digital Affairs is actively seeking a permanent office space. The Executive Yuan originally planned to construct a joint office building on the "Huaguang Special Zone 2" site, to be occupied by the Public Construction Commission, the National Communications Commission, and the Ministry of Digital Affairs. However, in January 2024, the Executive Yuan convened a meeting on office space, resulting in the decision to relocate the Ministry of Digital Affairs to the "Xing II Xing III" site along with other ministries. Regardless of whether it is the original "Huaguang Special Zone 2" or the revised "Xing II Xing III," neither were designated by the Taipei City Government as the Dongmen market redevelopment site ("Huaguang Special Zone 1"). Thus, there is no situation of seizing land or interfering with the redevelopment project.