Winners of the 22nd Golden Thumb Awards for Private Participation in Infrastructure Projects are announced! According to the Ministry of Finance, the winners were selected through a rigorous evaluation process. The selection committee conducted on-site assessments of shortlisted projects from the initial review and engaged in extensive discussions during the final review. The awards include three Excellence and three Honorable Mentions in the Government Agency Awards, and four Excellence and one Honorable Mention in the Private Sector Team Awards. The awarded projects span various fields, including transportation, electric power, healthcare, tourism, sports, cultural education, and wastewater treatment.
Among the winners, the Tainan City Government Bureau of Transportation and Acer ITS Inc. were each awarded Excellence for their work on the second phase of the Tainan Smart Roadside Parking Fee Charging System BOT Project. This project stood out as the only one to receive top honors in both the Government Agency and Private Sector categories, as well as an additional "Innovation Award" in the Government Agency category, making it the only triple-award-winning project this year. This project includes over 2,000 parking meters, providing quick parking spot searches, reducing errors in manual ticketing, and conserving the use of paper. Drawing on insights from the first phase, Tainan's Bureau of Transportation and Acer ITS collaborated to bring creative solutions to the second phase, including parking meters combined with EV charging stations and the "Smart Parking Meter Pole" device, which offers public service information, such as lifestyle and government policy announcements The project also features a unique Line AI bot that automatically reports parking violations to the police and tax authorities. These upgrades in parking services boost urban traffic management and add significant value to public infrastructure.
Another notable accolade went to the Qingshui Geothermal Power Generation BOT+ROT Project in Yilan, which received the Excellence Award in the Government Agency category. This marks the first time an electric power generation project has been recognized with a Golden Thumb Award. The Yilan County Government, committed to developing geothermal power, reactivated an old power plant which had remained defunct for 20 years, handing over the existing geothermal wells and plant infrastructure to a private enterprise through an ROT model to reduce development costs. The expansion mechanism for new production wells was then implemented through a BOT model, creating Taiwan's first geothermal plant utilizing the combined BOT+ROT model. In addition to generating geothermal power, the project also uses post-generation wastewater to supply Qingshui Geothermal Park and has constructed a Geothermal Education Center, establishing Taiwan's first educational park that combines geothermal power generation with experiential tourism.
Additionally noteworthy, the Hsinchu MacKay Children's Hospital BOT Project stands out as Taiwan's first dedicated children's hospital developed under the BOT model. It offers comprehensive medical services, including outpatient, emergency, and inpatient care, with 25 specialty departments all in one facility. Meanwhile, the Penghu County Magong Third Fishing Port Comprehensive Hotel Area Development BOT Project, managed by Grand Jun Corporation, marks Penghu's first comprehensive tourism hotel, combining accommodations, leisure, and commercial facilities. This project also incorporates a recycled water system to reduce strain on Penghu's water resources. Both projects earned Excellence Awards in the Government Agency and Private Sector Team categories, respectively. Further details on winners and reasons for selection are available in the appendix.
The Ministry of Finance adds that, to celebrate these achievements, the 22nd Golden Thumb Awards Ceremony is scheduled for November 29, 2024, on the 2nd Floor of the Hua Nan Bank International Convention Center. The Ministry warmly invites attendees from all sectors to join in the celebration and extends congratulations to all award-winning teams!
The latest information is also posted on the Golden Thumb Award section of the private participation in infrastructure information system of the Ministry of Finance (https://ppp.mof.gov.tw/WWW/gta/news.aspx).
Press Release Contact: Section Chief Chuang, Ching
Tel: (02)2322-8218