Mayor’s Remarks:
I. Dragon Boat Festival’s Blessings and Reminders
1. Dragon Boat will start this Saturday and run for four days. First of all, I would like to say my congratulations to the city residents and all employees of the city government. Wish all of you a happy Dragon Boat Festival, good health and a happy family.
2. The period from the 26th to 30th of May is the lively show time for “2017 Tainan City International Dragon Boat Championships” held on Tainan Canal. Tainan owns the claim of being Taiwan’s first city. The history of dragon boat race in Tainan City lasts for the longest time, which is quite a representative cultural tradition and international sports activity. This year’s Dragon Boat Championship is exciting and worth expecting as the number of all teams signing up for this competition has reached 154, in which more than 3,600 contestants are joining. Meanwhile, we have arranged various parent-child experiencing activities and art performances, all people are welcome to experience, to watch games and to cheer for the contestants. I urge the Bureau of Education, Department of Sports, Bureau of Transportation, Police Department and Fire Bureau to make sure that safety measures, traffic evacuation and guidance and all backup services have been consummated.
3. In addition, the Public Health Bureau is required to enhance food safety inspection in order to ensure the safety and hygiene of festival food so that the city residents can securely purchase and enjoy the holiday.
B. Strengthen Dengue Fever Prevention and Guidance
1. Since Taiwan is located in the subtropical region and has frequent interaction with Southeast Asian, the risk of epidemic Dengue Fever in summer is very high. Last year, under the joint effort and cooperation of the Central Government, Tainan City Government and city residents, and having the experience of anti-epidemic measures in 2015, the epidemic of Dengue Fever was successfully controlled. This year, this government will also endeavor to well prepare itself on the basis of this foundation and do its utmost to cooperate with the Central Government and fully exert its anti-epidemic function. In addition, the city residents’ cooperation is also needed.
2. Last week the Centers for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Welfare announced the finding of the outbreak of Dengue Fever in Kaohsiung, which is the first local case of this year. Since Dengue Fever is the disease of community and environment, the most effective prevention and blocking measure is to make sure all indoor or outdoor water containers of each family are cleared up and the work of “patrolling, emptying, scrubbing, cleaning” can be carried out to eliminate mosquito breeders thoroughly.
3. We kindly remind the city residents of raising their vigilance, making sure to carry out the elimination of breeding sources of their own homes and continuously participate in the epidemic prevention. We need to endeavor together to continue our achievements in Dengue Fever prevention of last year. The Public Health Bureau, Environmental Protection Bureau, Bureau of Civil Affairs and relevant agencies are required to enhance the guidance and epidemic prevention.
Reports
I. The Agriculture Bureau’s report of “Avian Flu Prevention and Control” (refer to written sources for details).
Resolution: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s Comments:
(1) On February 12th of this year, the first cases of highly pathogenic avian flu H5N2 and H5N6 were diagnosed. We immediately convened the animal epidemic emergency response meeting and raised the level of epidemic prevention to Tier 1 so as to comprehensively enhance and actually implement epidemic prevention measures. Under the joint effort of the Central Government, Tainan City Government and concerning industries, the epidemic of avian flu has been mitigated. After the 4th of April, no epidemics were reported in Tainan. I would like to thank the Agriculture Bureau and Animal Health Inspection and Protection Office for their dedication and relevant agencies for their full support in cooperating together to control the epidemic, safeguard the health of city residents and reduce agricultural losses. The Agriculture Bureau is required to actively assist in compensations for losses of the poultry industry.
(2) Over the recent years, avian flu poses a threat to the whole world. In Japan, due to this wave of avian flu, millions of poultry has been exterminated. In South Korea, even more than thirty million poultry infected with highly pathogenic avian flu were destroyed. Among these, 343 poultry farms were confirmed with infection of H5N6. Yet no transmission from birds to humans has been reported in Japan and South Korea. Thus, we don’t need to panic. The principles of no contacting, no feeding and no catching with wild pigeons and birds are still needed to be insisted. As to the poultry and bird eggs, the city residents can eat them without worries as long as they have been well boiled.
(3) I also call on the concerning industries, facing the epidemic of avian flu, to take strict measures without any loose to continuously carry out all epidemic prevention measures during their daily life. For example, the poultry farms or houses shall be established in a closing style or unopen style , and take various biosafety measures to block the invasion of avian flu virus and safeguard their own properties and the poultry farming industry with best efforts.
(4) The Agriculture Bureau is required to actively proceed with the subsidies allocated for net placement around poultry farms. This can make those businesses that are not yet in compliance with the regulations speed up with the net placement. Should any business still fail in compliance, punishment will be imposed on it for the avoidance of hindering the safety of the whole industry. In addition, the Animal Health Inspection and Protection Office is now drafting the “Tainan City Self-Government Ordinance for Biosafety of Poultry Farms”, which will serve as the rules for all poultry farms in Tainan to well perform the epidemic prevention in the future. Please step up the drafting, and the Department of Legal Affairs and relevant agencies please provide necessary assistance.
B. Report of “Promotion of Waste Recycling Policy in Tainan City” presented by the Environmental Protection Bureau (Refer to written sources for details).
Resolution: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s Comments:
(1) The issue of “circular economy” has become a hot topic internationally, which emphasizes the “regeneration and recovery” and to eliminate all wastes as well as to make the resources utilized more efficiently by virtue of redesigning the models for material, product, and commerce. In other words, with innovative thinking, it is to break away from the “linear economy” model of “manufacturing, producing, and wasting” in the past and, through proper recycling of resources, to satisfy social needs and simultaneously drive the economic development and environmental protection.
(2) Promoting the recycling of resource is not only a kind dedication to environmental protection for the earth but also one of the basic works to develop the “circular economy”. The Environmental Protection Bureau has expanded its promotion for garbage sorting inspection policy since last April (2016) and the collection and transportation of raw/cooked kitchen wastes by designated trucks for buildings accommodating more than 100 units, which has raised the recycling rate from 37.44 in 2010 to 49.19% in 2016. For this reason, Tainan City has been awarded for its outstanding achievements by the central auditing agency for seven consecutive years. I would like to thank Director-general Li and all employees of the Environmental Protection Bureau for their dedication. Please continue your good work and sustain the diversified promotional measures, and increase recycling channels to make Tainan a circular and sustainable model city.
(3) Besides the cogeneration of two refuse incinerator plants in Tainan City, the Environmental Protection Bureau also coordinates with the Central Government and responds to the world trend to promote green energy. The PV solar power system installed on the top of landfills that have been closed is expected to reach the installed capacity of five to six million watts. The activation and recycling engineering project has also been initiated to extend the service life of such landfills in Tainan City. All these achievements are worth praise.
(4) Furthermore, the Environmental Protection Bureau has also developed the interdepartmental platform for the promotion of bottom ash recycling products, and has meanwhile established the principle that all agencies shall prioritize the use of bottom ash recycling products in the proportion of 30% for their public works. I ask for the full cooperation of all agencies on destocking the bottom ash recycling products to achieve the goal of circular economy. I thank the Secretary-general Li for his supervision.