Mayor’s Remarks:
1. I would like to thank Director Su of the Public Works Bureau and Director Chen of the Finance and Local Tax Bureau for their contributions to the municipal government and their excellent work.
2. We must pay particular attention to Dengue fever prevention and do our best to stop this disease from spreading. All departments are tasked with working together to implement Dengue fever prevention measures.
3. The Land Administration Bureau should complete the urban rezoning construction project for Beian Business District and avoid any delays. The administration procedures for parts of the project that have been completed and are ready for inspection should be carried out as soon as possible.
Announcements
1. The Council of Indigenous People’s report on the project to safeguard the identity of the Siraya people (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s Remarks:
(1) The Siraya recognition movement is the fruit of advocating by generations of Siraya people and the decades-long hard work of former magistrates and mayors of Tainan. In June 2022, Siraya representatives and members of the municipal government attended oral argument, held by the Supreme Court. In October, the supreme justices ruled that Siraya people should be recognized by the law as an indigenous people. This decision was a major booster to the Siraya people, who have long awaited legal recognition.
(2) Tainan is home to the Siraya people. Even before the constitution recognized the Siraya people, the municipal government took action to include Siraya people in the scope of municipal benefits. For example, Siraya people aged 55 and above were issued senior citizen cards, provided with access to mobile health exams, and given senior health insurance subsidies. We hope that the legislative work at the central government level will be completed as soon as possible, so that this long-awaited recognition can be applied to practical policy.
2. The Public Works Bureau’s report on construction review (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s Remarks:
(1) Public construction encompasses design, construction, supervision, inspection, and review. Construction projects must be held to strict standards both internally and externally, and designs must be carefully reviewed as well. In the past, defects and violations were often found in public construction projects for the central government and local governments. This issue can only be effectively resolved through stringent reviews.
(2) In 2022, Tainan did not have the most projects with a budget that exceeded one million; however, we did have the highest number of construction projects in the country, which implies that Tainan needed to carry out more reviews than other municipalities. The review process is straightforward and clear when the quality of construction is good. If the quality is poor, and many violations are found, reviews will require more time and resources. I anticipate that concerned departments will carry out detailed reviews and ensure that public construction projects are up to par. Public construction is funded by and used by the masses. Therefore, projects with poor quality will threaten public safety and the government’s reputation. To safeguard the quality of public construction, we must ensure that review mechanisms are in place and functioning.