Mayor’s Remarks:
1. The public and private sector joined hands and set a new record for reducing PM2.5 in Tainan City
(1) In 2017, the Tainan City government invested great effort in air pollution control. In addition to the public sector’s proactive involvement in the issue, the private sector also collaborated with citizens to reduce particulate matter (PM2.5) from 36 μg/m3 in 2013 by 31% to 25μg/m3 in 2017.
(2) Orange alerts [Air Quality Index (AQI)>100] were announced on a total of 21 days between November 2017 and January 9, 2018, which is 33 days less than that of 2013 (54 days), marking a 47% reduction in Tainan City’s number of days with poor air quality.
(3) With the efforts of the Environmental Protection Bureau, 51,240 two-stroke motorbikes were retired in 2017, and 750,000 motorbikes underwent exhaust testing, making Tainan the city with the highest regular motorbike inspection rates among Taiwan's six major municipalities. Furthermore, The Environmental Protection Bureau integrated street cleaning resources from businesses, construction sites, and the City Government and cleaned 429,000 kilometers worth of streets, thereby effectively reducing dust and maintaining the cleanliness of Tainan City's streets.
(4) The Tainan City Government collaborated with the Southern Taiwan Science Park Bureau; Industrial District Administrations of the Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs; and Taiwan International Ports Corporation to announce 14 Clean Air Zones in Tainan City, the highest number of Clean Air Zones among cities in Taiwan. Control over air quality was enhanced, and certification standards were tightened. As a result, a record-breaking 482 large diesel vehicles were retired in 2017, which was 3.3-times the number of similar vehicles retired over the past two years. Furthermore, the Tainan City Government coordinated with factories and retired 46 industrial fuel boilers while employing a series of emission-cutting measures. In total, factory emissions have been reduced by 327 tons in 2017.
(5) I would like to thank the staff members of the Environmental Protection Bureau and relevant departments for their efforts in promoting air pollution prevention policies. I would also like to extend my gratitude to the private sectors and citizens for their cooperation. Finally, I encourage relevant departments to continue to combat air pollution and safeguard the health of Tainan's citizens.
2. Harnessing the impact of the 2016 earthquake and using it as motivation to move forward, the reconstruction work for the Dazhi Market Building has begun
(1) The February 6 earthquake that occurred two years ago in 2016 resulted in the collapse of the Weiguan Jinlong Building, Dazhi Market Commercial and Residential Complex, Xingfu Building, and a residence on Wenhe Street. After the earthquake, people from all walks of society showed their generosity and care through donations. With great sincerity and transparency, the Tainan City Government utilized resources to set in motion reconstruction work. To date, the construction work on Wenhe Street has been completed. Reconstruction work on the Xingfu Building began last July. Rebuilding work for the Dazhi Market Commercial and Residential Complex was recently launched. Weiguan Jinlong Building is scheduled to be rebuilt soon. Once again, I would like to thank the public for its generosity and compassion. Public donations have contributed greatly to the City Government’s endeavor in providing the most comprehensive care for residents affected by the 2016 earthquake.
(2) Many are to be thanked for the successful initiation of the reconstruction project. Chairperson Li of the Dazhi Market Urban Renewal Committee and Chairperson Huang of the Dazhi Market Community Association played key roles in coordinating with relevant parties to prepare for the reconstruction work. Premier Lai, then mayor of Tainan City, asked for the Bank of Taiwan’s support in person. Tainan City Council also supported allocating necessary budgets to the reconstruction project. I would like to ask concerned departments to offer full assistance in upcoming administrative procedures and tenders. Ultimately, our common objective is to restore normal life to citizens who were affected by the 2016 earthquake.
(3) To restore normal life to citizens affected by the 2016 earthquake and to ensure the public that their donations have been utilized for the proper cause, the reconstruction plan has been conducted according to schedule. With our joint efforts, as Premier Lai has repeatedly emphasized, when people think of the 2016 earthquake in years to come, their first impression will not be of the casualties in Tainan, but rather the care and compassion that society showed and the solidarity, bravery, and resilience of Tainan’s citizens. Through this tragic disaster, Tainan has persevered and emerged as an even stronger city.
Announcements
1. The Public Health Bureau’s report on the Operations of the Laboratory Center (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing.
Mayor’s Remarks:
(1) By combining the resources of the Laboratory Center and the extant hardware and software facilities of the Public Health Bureau, adequate testing services are now available for various departments and units within the Tainan City Government. The establishment of the new Center saves time that would have otherwise been spent on outsourcing testing, increases testing efficiency, and offers prompt test results that ensure citizens’ health.
(2) Precision instruments with a total worth of NT $50 million were purchased for the Laboratory Center. With existing equipment included, total equipment costs for the Laboratory Center have exceeded NT $100 million. Since the establishment of the Laboratory Center, resources have been consolidated and testing services made available to all government departments, thereby reducing the duration and costs of testing and the fiscal burden of the government.
(3) The Laboratory Center sells test kits at their cost price to farmers in Tainan City as a means of encouraging farmers to autonomously conduct pesticide residue tests before their produce is sold on the market, thereby ensuring the safety of produce and offering a more secure consumption environment for food products in Tainan City.
(4) To fulfill the operational demands of the various departments, I would like to ask Deputy Secretary-General Li to assist in matters that require interdepartmental collaboration, such as conducting drug tests for police departments working on drug enforcement, and performing school lunch tests promoted by the Education Bureau, as well as identifying possibilities for further saving human resources and cost.
2. The Public Health Bureau’s report on the Outcome of Dengue Fever Prevention in Tainan City (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing.
Mayor’s Remarks:
(1) Three years ago, Tainan City saw a severe outbreak of Dengue fever. The Tainan City Government has learned from this experience and in 2016 established the Tainan City Dengue Fever Prevention Control Center. The Dengue Fever Prevention Control Center collaborates with the Southern Taiwan Management Office of the Centers for Disease Control in sharing recourses, utilizing scientific surveys and analyses of vector indexes, and employing various prevention models to proactively terminate vector mosquitos.
(2) With “one key objective and eight major principles” in mind, the Dengue Fever Prevention Control Center led various departments in the Tainan City Government and citizens and made 2017 the first Dengue fever-free year in Tainan City in the past 20 years. The Dengue Fever Prevention Control Center pitched “Fighting Disease with Technology – Using a GIS Cloud IoT Network as a Strategy for Preventing Mosquito-borne Diseases” and won the 2017 Cloud Computing and IoT Excellent Innovation Award and the 2018 Smart City Innovative Application Award, achieving its initial objective.
(3) This year, the Dengue fever prevention strategy has been expanded to encompass the prevention of imported Dengue fever and environmental diagnostics. I would like to ask the Public Health Bureau and the Dengue Fever Prevention Control Center to continue to practice various methods of Dengue fever prevention, and to reflect on our past experiences when promoting prevention measures, thereby offering a safe and healthy environment for Tainan’s citizens.
(4) Over the past two years, the Public Health Bureau, the Environmental Protection Bureau, and concerned departments have demonstrated excellent performance in Dengue fever prevention. I encourage relevant departments to continue their endeavors in this matter. Deputy Secretary-General Li will oversee the allocation of human resources and funding for Dengue fever prevention. The outcome of last year’s prevention work was exemplary. To reward our colleagues for their excellent work, I would like to ask the Public Health Bureau to assign merits to staff members.