The government will "take advantage of zone expropriation or land consolidation to acquire the land that is spacious, convenient and suitable for construction, " Wu said in response to media inquiries on the results of an online survey held by the Cabinet-level Research, Development and Evaluation Commission (RDEC) to learn about issues that most upset the public. Survey results, publicized earlier Monday, show excessively high property prices in the metropolis of Taipei tops 10 public complaints.

Next on the list were telephone scams and online fraud, difficulty finding a job and high unemployment, high consumers prices, as well as the problem of drug proliferation.

Other complaints were over the enforcement of traffic regulations in an excessively strict manner, unsafe baby care services, dirty public toilets, loose measures on food safety screening, and the illegal occupancy of public road space.

Asked about the problem of high housing prices, Wu said he understands that a high population density results in high property prices in the metropolis of Taipei.

OK LIKE THIS? Analysts and others however said speculation and the lack of affordable housing are also factors. The consequences are that many people are unable to buy their own homes and are forced to live with their parents or in-laws.

The government has thought of using the MRT lines to resolve the problem, Wu said, explaining that land close to the MTR station at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, which is now under construction, as well as some other MRT stations, can be used to build houses that are reasonable in price for Taipei commuters.

Besides, the government will also provide low-interest loans for people to easily buy or rent a home, he added.

As for the top-10 public complaints, the premier said he will take them as an important reference for the administration.

(By Bien Chin-feng and Elizabeth Hsu)