Tainan City Government

I.“Connecting to Silicon Valley - Light up Taiwan”, an exclusive talk by David Weng, Chief Financial Officer of the Asia Silicon Valley Development Agency (ASVDA) and Deputy Chairman of ICF(Intelligent Community Forum) Taiwan

1.The Tainan City Government is extremely honored to invite CFO David Weng to the Municipal Administrative Meeting to share his extensive experiences in supporting and giving consultation to innovative startups and to give an overview of the government’s Asia Silicon Valley Development Plan. Tainan City is committed to pursuing its Smart City project and support youth entrepreneurship. The year 2016 marked our first entry into ICF Smart 21 and we’re very pleased to have the opportunity to exchange our opinions with CIO David Weng and share ideas on advancing the Smart City project in Tainan as well as means of strengthening interactions and connections with international platforms to improve the City's friendliness towards startups and young entrepreneurs.

2.The central government established the Asia Silicon Valley Development Agency (ASVDA) at the end of 2016 to serve two major functions of “driving growth in creative industries and startups” and “promoting industrial improvements in the Internet of Things (IoT) sector”, and the 4 major strategies of “optimizing startup and entrepreneurship ecosystems, connecting to the Silicon Valley, consolidating value chains, and site demonstration.” Currently, this project has established 5 IoT demonstration sites in 5 cities throughout Taiwan. Tainan City is also working closely with the central government in the “Shalum Green Energy Science City” construction project with the hopes of establishing the Science City as the benchmark for green innovation.

3.“Professional development”, “fundraising”, and “statutory innovation” will be the 3 crucial elements in determining the success of the Asia Silicon Valley Development Plan. Given the rapid advancements in information technology and rapid flow of capital across borders, we would like to remind the ASVDA to avoid focusing only developing software and hardware facilities and infrastructure on a single site. Instead, the approach by Cisco as elaborated in the presentation should be used. Cisco acquires other companies to maintain its innovative spirit. We should firstly encourage local people to spot the need for innovation in their immediate vicinity and to initiate development in smart tech right at home These energies and contributions can then be consolidated and linked together. I believe this will accelerate the establishment of the “National Team” for innovative industries. In addition to promoting economic development, such measures will also help revolutionize the quality of life of fellow citizens through technological applications.

II. Selfless contributions to the common folk - Spirit of Yoichi Hatta shall live on

1.Last Sunday, there was an act of malicious vandalization on a statue of Yoichi Hatta in Wusanto Reservoir Yoichi Hatta Memorial Park. It is disappointing to see that a statue of an engineer who contributed so much to be subject to such acts. Upon knowledge of this incident, I immediately requested the police to establish a team to investigate this event. I hereby thank the Tainan City Police Bureau for their efficient handling of this affair by successfully identifying the suspects. The case was successfully concluded in the evening of the following day.

2.The Chianan Irrigation system was planned and constructed during the Japanese Governance by the lead engineer Yoichi Hatta. Despite being born and raised in Japan, Mr. Hatta spent the best years of his life in building Taiwan’s irrigation systems and infrastructure. The Chianan Irrigation project that Mr. Hatta planned took 10 years to complete. The project adopted the most advanced method at that time and was held to the highest standards. Various construction difficulties, insufficient funding, complex geography, work safety, infectious diseases, and other challenges were overcome to establish the irrigation system, which was the largest system in Asia and the third largest in the world at the time of its completion, and irrigated a total of 150,000 Kah (145,485 hectares) of land of Chianan Plain. Mr. Hatta’s contributions toward Tainan and Taiwan not only included the building of an irrigation system that benefited farmers, but also his personality that featured an indomitable spirit and willingness to step up to challenges, characteristics that made him the role model of both Taiwan and Japan.

3.May 8th is the date on which Mr. Hatta passed away. Solemn memorial events are held every year by the Chia-Nan Irrigation Association. Currently, the Chimei Museum has volunteered its support to complete reparations to the damaged statue before the memorial event. I hereby request the Culture Affairs Bureau to commit support to the Chia-Nan Irrigation Association in subsequent investigations on the need to provide protection to Mr. Hatta’s bronze statue and to register the said statue as a cultural asset.

4.The bronze statue of Mr. Hatta was established by the Friendship Association that was founded by the employees of Wusanto Reservoir on the following year after the completion of the said reservoir in 1930. The famous sculptor Tsugata Yuma of Kanazawa was commissioned by the employees to build the statue, which was intended to serve as a symbol of their heartfelt admiration and respect for Mr. Hatta who had served as their superior for 10 years. The unfortunate event inspired many young citizens and friends in Japan to read up about Mr. Hatta, his selfless contributions, and the tremendously challenging project of the Chianan Irrigation. The deliberate vandalization by a small number of pro-China and anti-Japanese individuals will not fulfill the goals of damaging the long-term, sincere, and stable friendship between Taiwan and Japan.

III. Financial austerity is like saving water for the future

1.Phase 1 water usage restrictions in Tainan City have been initiated since the 5th day of this month. Despite heavy rainfalls last week, it was not enough to cover water usage demands in summer. I have made a personal visit to Zengwen Water Purification Plant and requested Taiwan Water Corporation to provide assistance. I will also like to encourage fellow citizens of Tainan to think of difficult times and conserve water use to make it through the dry season together.

2.During the Municipal Administrative Meeting last week, Director-General Chen of the Department of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics mentioned, in an explanation for changes in this City's final accounts reports of the last two years, that despite an additional public infrastructure expense of NT$3.2 billion in 2016, successful austerity measures allowed us to have over NT$30 million left over as opposed to a pre-consolidated shortage of NT$6.648 billion. A saying goes “Years of peacetime training readies an army for a moment of war”. In recent years, the Tainan City Government has been abiding by strict austerity measures and financial discipline. Funds for necessary investments are provided, while all savings are retained whenever possible. Such savings provide Tainan with a larger budget that can be used to support the Prospective Fundamental Infrastructure Project recently initiated by the central government. When the central government considers regional finances and capabilities during overall project planning, Tainan is able to come out of the top and offer necessary support. I hereby thank all Director-Generals of various departments and bureaus. I will also like to remind all departments and bureaus that financial austerity is like saving water, and vice versa. Gifts from the heavens and hard-earned dollars from our tax-payers must be carefully used. We should remain vigilant and save where possible to avoid issues of scarcity in times of need.