Mayor’s remarks:
I. Activation of new systems also requires upgraded services
1. The arrival of 2017 is accompanied by the implementation of many new policies and measures in Tainan City and other places throughout the country. Many of these are associated with the rights of ordinary citizens, such as minimum wage adjustments, the policy for providing one day of weekly holiday with the second day of leave per week, raising limits to youth housing loans, youth education and employment savings accounts, expanded government programs for early childhood educare, changes to National Pension payments, lowering of minimum requirements for National Health Insurance, re-education for driving while intoxicated (DWI), and the Long-term Care Plan 2.0. I hereby request related agencies and departments to update relevant information, improve the skills and knowledge of co-workers, and improve general awareness for these new policies so as to better safeguard the rights and interests of fellow citizens. The 1999 hotline service must be familiar with the relevant information to respond to public inquiries.
2. Meanwhile, quality and standards of services and policy planning implemented by city government departments and bureaus should be enhanced. Tainan City was promoted to municipality level six years ago. While major construction projects were gradually implemented and hardware and facilities upgraded, each department and bureau should also reflect upon the design and quality of their respective services and policy planning to ensure their continuing alignment to the standards befitting those of a municipality. In Tainan, we pride ourselves on being a cultural capital and envision ourselves as builders of an open government that strive to create a green and smart city. As we pursue our goals, there may be areas where continuous improvement may be implemented. In the spirit of prioritizing citizen services, I encourage each department and bureau to think about improvements and active strategies, and share issues and proposed solutions to the relevant agency for discussion. Collective brainstorming is key to the continuing improvement of the quality of life in Tainan.
2. Care for the underprivileged - Giving everyone a joyous new year
1. Taiwan is a society filled with warmth and positive energy. Many charitable individuals offer either monetary donation or volunteer their support to care for low-income families, dysfunctional families, senior citizens living alone, the homeless, and other underprivileged groups during the week as well as during public holidays. These individuals often wish to remain anonymous despite providing crucial care that is a powerful stabilizing force in our society.
2. Despite the wide selection of public social welfare programs and work categories, there are still areas that we cannot cover adequately. This is where public charities step in, serving as the greatest form of support in caring for the underprivileged. Meanwhile, we should remain vigilant and continue to enhance public construction and infrastructure, ensure strict law enforcement, offer extensive social assistance systems, and build a strong social security network in order to offer the 3S-Lifestyle of Safety, Stability, and Security for every demographic group.
3. As the Lunar New Year approaches, I request the Social Affairs Bureau, the Police Bureau and district offices to pay greater attention to providing care and support to senior citizens living alone, the homeless, and underprivileged groups. High-risk families must be given proper attention to assessing their conditions and ensure that every citizen can enjoy New Year celebrations in comfort.
II. Reports
1. Yuejin Lantern Festival Project presented by the Culture Affairs Bureau. (Refer to the printed information for details.)
Resolution: Approved for reference filing.
Mayor’s comments:
(1) Unlike traditional folk festivals, the Yuejin Lantern Festival makes use of timing during the Lunar New Year celebrations where tourist populations are at their greatest, geographical advantages in the form of elegant and high-quality waterfront environments such as “the nighttime art gallery” in the aquatic areas around Yuejingang Park, and popular support in the form of exchange platforms for local and overseas artists as well as local backing. The Lantern Festival has adopted a unique development strategy to construct a rich cultural and artistic atmosphere that enraptures visitors from across the country. Not only has the Festival become a major, branded Lunar New Year event in Tainan City, but also allows the small, history-rich town of Yanshui to demonstrate its creative vitality.
(2) Yuejin Lantern Festival 2017 adopts the creative theme of Gifts for the Four Seasons and will be held on January 21, 2017. Unlike the traditional approach to building an atmosphere, the 2017 Festival is the first time that environmental lighting has been used to create atmospheres for all four seasons, represented respectively by Spring Dawn, Summer Leaves, Autumn Reds, and Winter Stores. Nearly 50 sets of artistic lighting, including seven large landscape installations and four sets created by overseas artists, are used to provide visitors with an exciting and unprecedented visual spectacle and lantern artworks that integrate the river harbor, the local environment, the people of Yanshui, and regional cultural elements. Meticulous planning on the part of the Culture Affairs Bureau has ensured visitor number have increased year on year. The Festival attracted 180,000 visitors in 2012, and this figure skyrocketed to 600,000 in 2016, allowing Yuejingang to relive its prosperous historical past, improving business opportunities, and creating a festive atmosphere befitting the Lunar New Year. The Festival has now become a highlight of Lunar New Year celebrations in Tainan and is selected as a representative event in Taiwan’s international tourism marketing program. I hereby express my gratitude to Director-General Yeh and all co-workers of the Culture Affairs Bureau, as well as relevant departments and bureaus for providing their support.
(3) Yuejin Lantern Festival 2017 will be a 39-day event starting from a week before Lunar New Year’s Eve to the 228 holiday. Other attractions during this time will include the Beehive Fireworks on the date of the Lantern Festival, which attracts more and more visitors every year. I hereby thank Secretary General Li for coordinating and planning the event. To ensure the successful hosting of this Festival, I hereby request the Transportation Bureau and Police Bureau to enforce appropriate traffic and transport control measures and pay closer attention during the event. I also request the Tourism Bureau to work with travel agencies and hotels to make relevant preparations and offer value-added services to help boost the tourism industry.
2. The outcome of Efforts to Establish Long-term Care Facilities in Tainan City presented by the Social Affairs Bureau. (Refer to the printed information for details.)
Resolution: Approved for reference filing.
Mayor’s comments:
(1) Tainan City was the first city in Taiwan to establish a dedicated secondary agency, the Care Service Management Center, under the Social Affairs Bureau. The Care Service Management Center serves as an operations base for long-term care services and assists in the establishment of various community care service centers, enforcing integrated service management and evaluation. A Single Counter/Full-Service mode is adopted to receive public applications and inquiries and carry out long-term care services and community prevention. The Care Service Management Center integrates multiple social welfares and medical services that include home (or community) rehabilitation, home care, respite care, rental of assistive technology and devices, accessibility improvements to home environments, day care, adult foster care, shuttle services, and meal delivery for seniors. Plans for the future include incorporating the 17 services listed in the Long-term Care Plan 2.0 to give a sense of safety and comfort to all care recipients and alleviate the concerns of every family in Tainan.
(2) With the impending arrival of the aged society in 2018 and hyper-aged society in 2026, the new government initiated a Ten-Year Program/Long-term Care Plan 2.0 after assuming office to better respond to social changes that may take place in the next ten years. We invited Minister without Portfolio Lin Wan-I who takes charge of this program to our city government municipal administrative meeting two months ago to explain program details to various officials. The Tainan City Government is actively working with the central government to implement the Ten-Year Program for Long-term Care, and currently has the largest number of daycare centers in Taiwan. In addition to securing central government subsidies for establishing daycare centers, the Tainan City Government also encourages private businesses to invest in these centers as well. The City Government has integrated both public and private resources, providing 12 daycare centers with venues as part of public facilities and buildings, allowing revitalization of idle areas while benefiting fellow citizens.
(3) To prepare for the future, the Tainan City Government has committed substantial resources to long-term care and achieved significant outcomes with improved performance in various services. Outcomes related to long-term care services offered by this City were assessed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) in the 2015 Local Public Health Agency Assessments - Long-term Care Category and received a full-score rating, giving Tainan first place together with Taoyuan, Taichung, and Kaohsiung under the municipality category. This once again proves that Tainan has the advantage of becoming a benchmark city for the Long-term Care Plan 2.0.
(4) The City is actively working with departments and bureaus as well as 37 district offices in the execution of the Long-term Care Plan 2.0 program in order to conduct inventory checks and verify that three-tier (A, B, and C) service stations are available. Inventory checks of various areas and potential agencies shall be completed prior to the end of January to ensure appropriate preparations of long-term care resources, ensuring that optimal outcomes of the Long-term Care Plan 1.0 can be seamlessly passed on to the Long-term Care Plan 2.0 for the next decade, offering needy citizens with better care and services. I hope that the Social Affairs Bureau will persist in their improvements and continue to build a long-term care policy in Tainan City that includes services with local features and support in the form of partnerships between public agencies and private enterprises.
(5) I also remind departments and agencies that the aged society is a serious national security issue on a par with low birth rates. Policy planning for the Long-term Care Plan 2.0 will impact every Tainan resident. In addition to the care service system meticulously planned by the Social Affairs Bureau in compliance with central government policies, every department and bureau should reflect upon their respective services and consider the needs of senior citizens in public construction, infrastructure, service planning, event designs, and lifelong learning programs.