Mayor’s Remarks:
1. Promising 2018, full effort for a merry Tainan
(1) This is the last Municipal Administrative Meeting of this year (2017). We held the annual press conference last Wednesday (December 20) titled as “Full Effort for a Merry Tainan”, and reported on the policies pursued over the last 7 years and the outcomes to the people of Tainan. We also spelled out the major benchmark constructions and policy declaration of the city administration in the year ahead. I would like to thank the two Deputy Mayors, Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General, the heads of the bureaus and departments, and all staff of the Tainan City Government, for their effort and contributions without which we would not have been able to present so splendid the result to the people of Tainan on a sustainable basis to their expectation.
(2) The prospects of 2018 will include: The benchmark projects of Tainan Railway Underground Project, China Town Plaza and Haian Road Landscape Renovation, the Yong Kang Logistics and Transit Center Re-Planning Project, Tainan Art Museum, Taijiang Cultural Center, Shan Shang Garden Waterway Museum, Asia-Pacific International Baseball Stadiums and Training Centers, Tainan Public Library, Zhu Stream Waterfront Green Arcade Construction Project, Sinhua Fruits and Vegetable Wholesale Market Relocation, Greater Tainan Expo Center (including the arena), construction project of the artery system north of Metropolitan Tainan, and Madou Industrial Zone Urban Planning Project. I asked the authorities administering these projects to kick off the work as scheduled and also requested the Research, Evaluation and Development Council to monitor the launch of these projects.
(3) The “Three Arrows for Safe Kindergartens” policy will be continued in the year ahead with the implementation of “Setting fares of private kindergartens at the standards for public kindergartens”. Furthermore, the brick factories with the use of recycled residue from incinerators will be established with the improvement of air quality as the top priority. A budget of NT$150 million will be allocated for the establishment of a creative industries center at Sinying to boost up the industrial development in the region to balance regional construction. I asked the Bureau of Education, Environmental Protection Bureau, Bureau of Economic Development and related bureaus and departments to commence the work as scheduled and make the positive effort to achieve the goal.
2. Central-Municipal governmental collaboration to bring better benefits to the people for a better Tainan
(1) Thank you very much for Premier Lai and the ministers of the central government for their visit to Tainan to express their concerns about regional construction, and to better understand the status of implementation of the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program and the Long-Term Care 2.0 program. They also reviewed the work for the improvement of Zhu Stream and visited the “Yu Zen Garden Long-term Care Center”, and the Regenerated Photovoltaic Power Plant, the first southern reclaimed landfill ground photovoltaic power generation facility by the side of the incinerator at Chengsi. Premier recognized the effort of all and encouraged them to keep up with the good work so that the elderly in need could get proper care. He also encouraged the officials to continue the installation of facilities for photovoltaic energy and realize the city’s dream of “Improving the water environment at Zhu Stream.”
(2) Premier Lai has laid down the solid foundation for various aspects of development in Tainan when he was the Mayor of Tainan. The city government carried on the urban development blueprint and objectives that have already been established to realize urban construction and keep the city moving forward. However, there are a number of major construction projects still relying on the assistance of the central government. We made use of the opportunity created by forums to report to Premier Lai on those results and promised to complete the major projects supported by the central government on time with the desired quality. We hope that the central government will continue to support other major construction projects in Tainan.
(3) As cited by Premier Lai, the city government has the experience and capability sufficient for the realization of those related programs. If we could propose a complete, enforceable and beneficial form of urban development to the central government, we will get support from the Executive Yuan. I would like to thank the central government in its approval of the budget for Tainan City of more than NT$10 billion for the Forward-Looking Infrastructure Development Programs for green energy, water environment, railway work, urban-rural development, and responses to the sub-replacement fertility trend as well as digitization. Concerning bureaus and departments are asked to give their full support for the launch of the project. Bureaus and departments are also asked to map out the construction programs that the people of Tainan need in accordance with the urban development blueprint and major policy objectives so as to earn a larger share of the budget from the central government, to bring about better lives for the people of Tainan and to make Tainan a better place for all.
3. Traffic during the New Year Holidays and road safety reminders
(1) The New Year will start next Monday. I would like to wish all the people of Tainan and the Tainan City Government a happy New Year and all the best in the coming year.
(2) To embrace the New Year, the Tainan City Government specially crafted the “New Year Countdown Trilogy” together with the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area Administration and Siraya National Scenic Area Administration. “Part I” is the farewell to sunset at the North Gate, which is a world-renowned scenic attraction that is second to none. “Part II” is the New Year's Countdown Party with artistic creation and local trend as the theme. “Part III” is the everlasting sunrise at Er Liao. The people of Taiwan are cordially invited to the occasion during the long weekend holiday of the New Year to share the most special New Year event of Taiwan.
(3) Furthermore, with the three series of events for celebrating New Year, I believe that tourists from all parts of the country will flood into most scenic locations. Related authorities will be required to prepare the proper planning of the direction of traffic, and make sure that order and safety are assured in their areas. This will be essential to make the New Year holiday a happy time for all events, the people of Tainan and tourists in Tainan.
Report
1. Report on the “Sharing of Insight from Visit to Indonesia for Bridging Trade and Economic Exchanges” from Bureau of Economic Development. (Please refer to written sources for references).
Resolution: Approved for reference filing.
Mayor’s Remarks：
(1) The central government spares no effort in pursuing the “New Southbound Policy”, which explores new spaces and horizons under the principle of mutual benefit and diversified cultivation and development in the four aspects of “economic and trade cooperation”, “regional linkage”, “resource sharing”, and “human resource exchange”. The Tainan City Government strongly supported this New Southbound Policy of the central government with the commitment of more resources in the advocacy and coordination of the policy at higher speed. Further, Tainan City Government also seeks economic and trade cooperation southward more proactively.
(2) I would like to thank the Bureau of Economic Development for their work on “economic and trade cooperation” under the new policy. The 18 countries within the scope of the New Southbound Policy has a total GDP of about USD7 trillion or 9% of the world total GDP. The population of these countries and the economic bonus provide a lucrative business opportunity for market. I would like to thank the model set by Bureau of Economic Development by expanding into the markets of the host countries and attracting investors there to invest in Tainan so as to create better opportunities for Tainan in moving southward. The positive attitude and proactive effort of the Bureau of Economic Development and the result deserve my citation.
(3) The demographic structure of the countries in ASEAN and other Southeast Asian countries indicated a high population of young people with the emergence of a large middle-class. This allows for the high potential of domestic consumption. The potential of economic development simply cannot be dismissed. I asked the Bureau of Economic Development to further their efforts in assisting Tainan firms to develop their market there and also attract investment to Tainan. This will help to give new energy in boosting up the momentum of the city.
(4) The Department of Information and International Relations shall discuss with the functional units of the central government responsible for the pursuit of the New Southbound Policy to integrate the resources of the counties and the cities for the effective pursuit of related policies. In receiving foreign delegations, the bureaus and departments shall make evaluations to determine possible substantive results. Deputy Secretary-General Fang was asked to invite related bureaus and departments to map out the evaluation methods. The Department of Information and International Relations of Tainan City Government shall engineer the making of the New Southbound Policy of Tainan City Government and shall call for routine meetings for the review of the pursuit of the policy in practice with related bureaus and departments.
2. Report on “Accreditation of ISO 37120 for Tainan as a City Approaching International Standard” by the Environmental Protection Bureau. (Please refer to the written resources for references.)
Resolution: Approved for reference filing.
Mayor’s Remarks:
(1) Last year (2016) in the press conference for his 6th anniversary in mayor’s office, Premier Lai pronounced the launch for promoting accreditation of ISO 37210 and the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) of the United Nations in this year (2017) for the sustainable development of the city.
(2) I would like to thank Director-General Lin of Environmental Protection and all colleagues of the Low Carbon City Office for their effort, and the full support of all bureaus and departments so that Tainan could be a member of the World Council on City Data (WCCD) in February, and could participate in the application for accreditation of ISO 37210 like other 250 advanced cities including London of the UK, Boston of the USA. In a matter of just 8 months, the city has passed 100 items required for the accreditation and has earned the recognition at platinum grade. This really is a marvelous job.
(3) Currently, there are only 35 cities of the world that are accredited at the platinum grade, the top level in the world. Tainan is the second city in Taiwan, just after Taipei, to be accredited as a city with a platinum grade, which means that we have performed the responsibility as a member of the global village in due diligence and made the best of our effort in the realization of a sustainable low carbon city. We have been recognized by the world. I would like to thank you all once again for the concerted effort of all.
(4) The ISO system is critical for the realization of the objective of SDGs of the United Nations; I strongly suggest all bureaus and departments review the work items under their jurisdiction and understand the meaning of the indicators of the United Nations for sustainability to make the sustainable indicators for low carbon city of Tainan perfect. Furthermore, the accreditation of ISO 37120 should be continued and make it a part of the routine operation of the city government. This is the way for achieving the goal of a city of sustainable persistence. I asked the Environmental Protection Bureau to provide assistance for this cause and all bureaus and departments to dutifully record the indicator data from 2016 to 2017. In concrete terms, the advocacy of this policy shall be included as a part of the Low Carbon City Promotion Committee by the Bureau of Environmental Protection for the proper pursuit and control of the policy.