Mayor’s remarks
1. A big step forward for Taiwan with the passage of the “Special Act for Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program”
(1) The “Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program” is an important national development program promoted to build a sustainable future and invest in future generations for Taiwan. Apart from accelerating investments and renewals of national infrastructures, this forward-looking program aims to balance regional development through public investments, in order to enable comparatively lowly-developed regions as a result of insufficient investments and development to transform successfully and thereby to improve the living environment and quality of all citizens and build infrastructures required for future national development to enhance overall competitiveness.
(2) The “Special Act for the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program” was promulgated on July 7 and enacted on July 9. The Executive Yuan has promulgated the special budget for phase I of the “Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program”. The budget totaling NT$108.9 billion covers eight infrastructure construction projects: “railway infrastructure” at NT$17.069 billion, “urban-rural infrastructure” at NT$35.414 billion, “green-energy infrastructure” at NT$8.124 billion, “digital infrastructure” at NT$16.17 billion, “water environment construction” at NT$25.67 billion, and “infrastructure addressing low fertility, food safety, and employment promotion” at NT$6.477 billion. In the following competitive project round, department and bureau colleagues should proactively understand our needs, and the secretary-general should host coordination meetings for departments and bureaus to propose most competitive projects to strive for more funds to accelerate the important construction projects vital to Tainan’s future key development. These project items are crucial to Tainan. Although Tainan has been promoted to a special municipality by integrating the previous Tainan County and Tainan City, the central government never increases funding for Tainan. Despite our hard endeavors to cultivate new financial resources and cutting unnecessary expenses and our efforts to promote city management, in the absence of central government funding, we can’t tango alone!
(3) Citizens have high concerns about the benefits of the “Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program”. Therefore, every penny counts. We need to address social needs and expend more rigorously and cherish project funds. After approval, we will complete all projects in the required quality and on schedule to fully demonstrate the benefits of the Forward-Looking Program, in order to set the foundation for future city development and turn Tainan into a more livable city.
2. Total activation of all public construction projects for Shalun Green Energy Science City
(1) To cope with the future accommodation demand from the operations of Tainan Convention and Exhibition Center, the southern branch of Academia Sinica, United Research Centers, and the Shalun Campus of National Chiao Tung University, the Bureau of High Speed Rail has started the tendering of the HSR Tainan Station Special Zone Development Project. On the site of about one hectare, hotels with at least 150 guestrooms and related facilities will be built. The closing date of tender submission is 18 September 2017. I am grateful for the efficient effort of the Bureau of High Speed Rail. Please urge Tainan enterprises and hotel chains across Taiwan to join the tendering in order to complete this project as scheduled.
(2) All work items of the Shalun Green Energy Science City are in full swing. For example, the construction of the United Research Centers will be initiated at the end of this October, the construction of the Green Energy Technology Demo Site will be initiated next January, and some staff of the Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratories of ITRI have already moved into the Shalun Campus of National Chiao Tung University. In addition, Shalun Green Energy Science City has commissioned the city government to build two ground access roads and a new sewage treatment plant. The Public Works Bureau and Water Resources Bureau should advance the preparations to facilitate budget approval to immediately implement contract tendering to accelerate the implementation of various infrastructures.
(3) As Shalun Green Energy Science City is the base for developing Taiwan’s green energy technology and innovation industries, all national infrastructures will link to the commercial/manufacturing park in the HSR Special Zone, making the park the most important green energy technology cluster in Taiwan. The city government will fully cooperate with the central government to upgrade Tainan’s industrial development and promote the overall development of Taiwan’s green energy industry. When there are private enterprises investing in Taiwan in the process and requiring assistance from the city government, related departments and bureaus should give them full assistance to ensure the full cooperation between the public and private sectors and thereby create a win-win situation for both sectors.
3. Energy conservation and emissions reduction for environmental sustainability
(1) Summer has come, and Taiwan will enter the high load season of electricity consumption. According to the forecast of Taiwan Power Company, the power consumption of the last ten days of July will reach 3.635GW and the operating reserve will only be 3.4%. If the forecast is correct, electricity consumption will outnumber that of July 28 last year at 3.620GW, which will be a new high in history. If the consumption increases by one per cent, curtailment will start.
(2) Since the merger of Tainan County and Tainan City, we have spared no effort to build Tainan into a low-carbon city, develop electricity generation with renewable energy, and implement the Solar City Program. We even won the Gold Award in the Low-Carbon Model Towns pillar at the 3rd APEC Energy Smart Communities Initiative Best Practices Awards. In addition, we implement the Shalun Green Energy Science City project in support of the central government, hoping to build the best environment for renewable energy development in Taiwan and continuously integrate and implement The Solar City of Tainan and renewable energy promotion so as to achieve multiple policy goals: safe energy supply, environmental protection, and industrial development. With the support of the central government and the collaboration of all parts of society, I believe that building Tainan into a low-carbon city is a not so distant goal.
(3) Apart from implementing relevant policies, total citizen participation in energy conservation, emissions reduction, and environmental protection has become increasingly important. With only a small habit change in every person, the overall effect in energy conservation and emissions reduction will be great. Therefore, I urge all citizens to support “summer energy saving” in order to love earth in action. It all starts with turning off lights anytime when not in use, raising the temperature of air-conditioners, and all other electricity consumption habits. Let us cherish energy and create a sustainable environment.