Mayor’s Remarks:
1. Water levels are running low; citizens are urged to conserve water
(1) Although June has arrived, monsoon fronts have been lackluster. As a result, this summer's water levels have been much lower than that of previous years. The Tainan City Government has convened three drought-prevention meetings in a month and a half, actively working with the Southern Region Water Resources Office, Taiwan Water Corporation, and Chia-Nan Irrigation Association to increase water resources while conserving water consumption. In response to the water shortage, the Tainan City Government has also advised all affiliated authorities and departments to enhance water conservation measures, thereby reducing water waste and increasing the efficiency of water usage.
(2) Premier Lai, well-aware of Tainan’s current water shortage, took time out of his busy schedule and visited Nanhua Reservoir and Chianan Irrigation System last Saturday. Although water reserves are low, and despite there being no substantial rainfall over the past ten straight months in Tainan, Tainan City was able to remain in stage one water rationing. This indicates that the water conservation efforts of government departments and citizens have paid off and that the collaborative measures of the Central Government and local government have been effective.
(3) The current water shortage is an issue that should be closely monitored; however, there is no need to panic. A two-month water supply remains available for domestic and industrial use even after the completion of stage one irrigation for rice fields at the beginning of this month (June). Although the flood season and typhoon season are coming soon, we must remind citizens to make water conservation a habit. Currently, there is enough water for day-to-day purposes. Please refrain from storing water, which can lead to bacteria and vector growth and in turn increase the risks of disease outbreaks, such as Dengue fever.
2. Continuing to promote major investment projects and keeping abreast to the Central Government’s policies
(1) To promote Tainan’s core administrative principle of People’s Livelihoods First, the Tainan City Government has been continuously recruiting businesses and attracting investment. The City government has launched a new business recruitment mechanism since it was upgraded as a special municipality. This new mechanism offers a single contact window and designated personnel for each project. Under this model, businesses receive assistance in land acquisition, plant construction, business registration, and legal affairs concerning labor and environmental protection. Other than reviewing investments by season, the Tainan City Government also began convening regular investment meetings at the end of last year, where a proactive approach is taken in assisting businesses to overcome investment obstacles. As of May 2018, a total of 58 major investment projects were listed, amounting to a total investment amount of NT $128.5 billion. This does not include the NT $500 billion investment of TSMC’s five-nanometer node wafer plant.
(2) Currently, “investing in Taiwan” is a major administrative objective of the Executive Yuan. With the professional legal advice offered by Minister Chen of the National Development Council, the Tainan City Government has been coordinating with various departments to deregulate investments and laws related to startups. By doing so, domestic and foreign companies are more likely to invest in Taiwan, and Taiwanese businesses in China are also given the incentive to relocate their plants in Taiwan. In addition, the New Economic Migration Act was stipulated to attract talent from around the world to take up residence in Taiwan. Premier Lai convened the Executive Yuan’s first local economy vitalization meeting in May, addressing issues such as Taiwan’s population reduction, aging society, low birthrate, overpopulation, and urban-rural gap, and proposing solutions. The Executive Yuan has named 2019 as year one for vitalizing the local economy.
(3) Other than proactively promoting business recruitment, I would like to ask all departments to continue to offer assistance in talent cultivation and retention, deregulation, and vitalizing the local economy. It is important for us to take an active approach in understanding the Central Government’s policy objectives and demonstrating our flexibility by rapidly launching relevant municipal policies. These actions will contribute to Tainan’s competitiveness in Taiwan and abroad, and will also double the efficiency of business recruitment.
Announcements
1. The Agriculture Bureau’s report on adjustments measures for mango production and marketing in 2018 and Tainan International Mango Festival (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s Remarks:
(1) The 6th Tainan International Mango Festival is about to begin. By engaging in trade talks, conducting production and marketing adjustments, and organizing the Tainan International Mango Festival, the Tainan City Government has successfully marketed Tainan’s quality mangos to the world while attracting overseas visitors to travel to Taiwan as they have done each year during mango season. We are making progress every year. I would like to thank Director-General Shu and the staff members of the Agriculture Bureau for the effort that they have invested in promoting Tainan’s mangos.
(2) Tainan is home to the largest quantity of top quality mangos, a favorite among consumers. A substantial number of mangos were harvested last year. With the Agriculture Bureau’s comprehensive production and marketing measures, the Tainan City Government was able to closely monitor farm conditions and market prices. Furthermore, the Tainan City Government proactively marketed mangoes in major markets, leading farmers to mitigate the risk of production-marketing imbalances. Due to the markedly high harvest last year, nutrients were scarce for this year’s mangos. In addition, blooming coincided with rainfall, water sources were lackluster during fruit setting, and a hail storm struck on April 23. As a result, only 12,100 boxes of mangos are available this year, 50% less than the 22,000 boxes of last year. To resolve this issue, the Agriculture Bureau has launched a natural disaster subsidy mechanism. Tourism resources will be integrated with this year’s Tainan International Mango Festival, where enhanced marketing measures will be employed. Thus, I kindly ask all departments for your cooperation concerning this matter.
(3) I would like to thank the Council of Agriculture for allocating funds to Tainan City and for co-organizing the 2018 International Procurement Day for Tainan Tropical Fruit and Their Processed Products with Taiwan External Trade Development Council, where 15 buyers from six Asia-Pacific countries participated in 104 one-on-one procurement talks with local businesses. The resulting business opportunities were worth US $11.16 million, a US $940,000 growth compared to last year. This year’s Tainan International Mango Festival is scheduled to open at Tsou Ma Lai Farm on June 23. Different themed events involving the five major mango production areas will be held on weekends during July, attracting visitors to visit during summer vacation. I would like to thank relevant departments for collaborating on this matter. The Tourism Bureau collaborated with travel agencies to develop travel packages and market specialty tours involving local agriculture, and the Bureau of Transportation offered assistance in organizing public transportation.
(4) This year’s mango season has just begun, but sadly, “father of the Irwin mango,” Mr. Cheng Han-chih, passed away during early June. I suggest the Agriculture Bureau and Yujing District Office organize an event at the end of the month in memory of Mr. Cheng and invite the public to attend and gain a better understanding of Mr. Cheng's contributions to Tainan's mango industry.
(5) I would like to ask the Agriculture Bureau to formulate methods for promoting mangos, and the Department of Information and International Relations to assist in disseminating promotional information. Also, I urge the Agriculture Bureau to increase the links to the Farmers' Association and Excellent Fruit Farmers on the Tainan City Government's official website or utilize LINE to spread promotional content with the objective of enhancing the public's willingness to purchase mangos, and further promoting mango exports.
2. The Fire Bureau’s report on water safety in 2018 (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s Remarks:
(1) The number of people engaging in water sports usually increases as the temperature rises ; thus, water safety has always been a major focus for the Tainan City Government during summer. To prevent drownings, the Fire Bureau has requested all affiliated departments to conduct water rescue drills, increase awareness for drowning prevention, patrol risky locations, and establish basic lifesaving equipment and warning signs starting from May. These measures will continue to be enforced until the end of September.
(2) As summer vacation is around the corner, I urge all schools to enhance water safety awareness before the end of the semester. Also, I would like to ask the Fire Bureau and schools that are close to dangerous waters to encourage teachers and students to take on the role of "safety responder for dangerous waters." Other than developing an advanced understanding of water safety, responders also warn the public or students who are planning to enter dangerous waters or report cases of distress. By paying extra attention, we should be able to prevent tragedy from striking.
(3) On holidays and weekends and during July and August, the Fire Bureau will establish drowning prevention checkpoints and conduct patrols near dangerous waters, thereby mitigating the risk of drowning and protecting citizens. I would like to thank Commissioner Lee and the staff members of the Fire Bureau for your hard work over the years. Your devotion has not gone unnoticed. With the flooding season approaching, I encourage everyone to keep up the good work and uphold water safety in Tainan.