Mayor’s remarks:
I. Official opening of the National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center, a new milestone in disease prevention
1. To eliminate the threat posed by mosquito-borne diseases, the central government commissioned the National Health Research Institute (NHRI) in 2016 to establish the National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center. The Tainan Research Center was launched on January 6, 2017. Experts and related companies will be stationed at this facility and focus their efforts on testing, research and development and trials related to mosquito-borne diseases. The Tainan Center will become a base of operations for developing an innovative disease prevention industry throughout the country. We hereby express our gratitude to Premier Lin and the associated teams from the Executive Yuan for establishing this new milestone for joint disease prevention between the central and local governments.
2. The severity of the 2015 dengue fever epidemic in Taiwan inspired a public consensus for enhancement of disease prevention measures. We learned from this lesson to create stringent, hierarchal-based management systems and establish the Tainan City Government Dengue Fever Prevention Center, the country's first dedicated agency responsible for control of the disease. This center works with central government departments to tackle various aspects of the disease. The National Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center is in charge of relevant research projects, and Tainan City Government shoulders the disease prevention work on the frontline. Together we achieved an excellent outcome with only two confirmed local cases throughout 2016. I also would like to thank fellow citizens and agencies for their support and cooperation.
3. Although the disease was kept under control in 2016, I must remind everyone that in southern Taiwan, dengue fever prevention is a serious issue that must be dealt with every year and that cannot be neglected. I hereby request the Public Health Bureau, Environmental Protection Bureau, Civil Affairs Bureau, district offices, and relevant agencies to continue in their efforts. I also ask fellow citizens to continue with “patrolling, emptying, cleaning, and scrubbing” of potential mosquito breeding sites and encourage everyone to work together to create a safe and healthy living environment.
II. Continuing investment in major infrastructure projects to encourage balanced regional development
1. Seven years have passed since the merger of Tainan County and Tainan City to form Tainan Special Municipality. With support from the central government, major landmark infrastructure projects that I committed to the city have been initiated on schedule, including the Tainan Museum of Fine Arts, Tainan Main Library, five cultural parks, Pingshi Park, remediation of the Jhu River, expansion of the Zengwun River Bridge, Shalun Green Energy Science City (GESC), Tainan Convention & Exhibition Center (including the Tainan Arena), southern Taiwan campuses for the Academia Sinica, railway underground conversion, the Asia-Pacific International Baseball Village, and the Yonghua Public Sports Center. We will witness the upcoming transformation of Taiwan’s former capital and the restoration of its historical prosperity. I hereby ask the directors of all bureaus and departments to closely monitor the progress of these construction projects, overcome bottlenecks, and ensure that they are delivered on schedule as they are key to further urban development.
2. We have been working very hard to achieve regional balance in recent years. In addition to establishing a rapid public transport system, we have also created a one-hour road network with three horizontal lines and three vertical lines for residents to shorten distances between various districts of the Greater Tainan region and achieve co-prosperity and development of both rural and urban regions. As Mayor, public works and construction projects in northern Tainan are one of my major concerns. Just last week, I conducted a joint survey with the Urban Development Bureau, Culture Affairs Bureau, and other agencies to review major construction projects in the Xibei region, including the Xinying Art Park, Xinying Sugar Railway Bicycle Trail, and facilities in the Madou Tsung-Yeh Chianan Irrigation region. Renovations for the Xinying Cultural Center in the Art Park have been completed, which is an important center for advancing the development of the performing arts in the greater Xinying region. The Japanese-themed Old Xinying County Office, also near completion, is set to become an important centerpiece of the Art Park, a highlight attraction for the Park, and will improve the quality of life of local residents. Next, we have the Southern Taiwan Branch of the National Central Library and the Anime-Manga Cultural Park, both of which will be major projects in the greater Xinying region. I hereby request the Culture Affairs Bureau to continue their hard work to bring prosperity to the area.
3. The Executive Yuan stated that 2017 will be a year of construction, and that it will formulate plans to expand public works and accelerate the development of software and hardware facilities to reinvigorate Taiwan's economy. I hereby request all agencies to refer to the administrative directives of the central government and to provide total support to the its public work projects. Meanwhile, we should also take the initiative in securing support from the central government for software and hardware infrastructure projects based upon regional features and needs and achieve substantial benefits for a balanced regional development.
Reports
1. Key Tasks and Plans for the 2017 Lunar New Year provided by the Department of Information and International Relations, Tourism and Travel Bureau, Economic Development Bureau, Transportation Bureau, Police Bureau, Public Health Bureau, and Environment Protection Bureau (refer to written sources for details).
Resolution: Approved for reference filing.
Mayor’s comments:
(1) Lunar New Year is less than two weeks away and this year the holiday will be six days long. I would like to thank every director for carrying out early planning and preparing response measures for key tasks for the Spring Festival, creating a safe and secure environment for residents welcoming in the new year, organizing festivals, events, and city marketing campaigns, and ensuring proper traffic volume distribution and other services for Tainan students in other counties and cities returning to their hometowns and those who plan to travel during the holiday.
(2) The Yanshui Beehive Fireworks and Yuejin Lantern Festival represent Tainan’s most famous and popular events during the Lunar New Year, and attract large numbers of visitors every year. Initial tasks such as marketing and publicity campaigns, traffic distribution, parking plans, security and protection, and environmental cleanliness must be properly planned and undergone table top simulation. I hereby request the relevant organizations to ensure proper delegation of job responsibilities. The 2017 Taiwan International Orchid Show scheduled for March 4 will adopt the theme Taiwan Orchids in Tainan and introduce innovative Virtual Reality (VR) technology. I hereby thank the Department of Information and International Relations for initiating early preparations of the marketing plan. The 2017 Taiwan International Orchid Show will continue to be held at the Taiwan Orchid Plantation (TOP). The Agriculture Bureau should propose response measures and solutions in a timely manner for issues related to exhibit areas, transportation, and parking issues for the Orchid Show at TOP.
(3) We are committed to our duty of ensuring food safety. This includes dishes and festive foods provided and prepared in the Xin-Hua Lunar New Year Market and various food businesses and establishments. I hereby request the Public Health Bureau, Economic Development Bureau, and other relevant agencies to ensure proper implementation of health and hygiene inspections. I also ask the Agriculture Bureau, Economic Development Bureau, and Consumer Protection Officers to provide support in assessing the production and sales of various farm produce, business conditions of major retailers, and fluctuations in commodity prices.
(4) The 2017 National Cleaning Week will be held from January 20 to 26. I hereby ask all district offices to support the Environmental Protection Bureau and carry out a campaign for disease prevention and waste container recycling and exchange. I also request the Environmental Protection Bureau to provide total support in garbage collection for residents hoping to get rid of old, used items. I am also asking the Environmental Protection Bureau and other departments and bureaus to ensure environmental cleanliness of venues hosting major events and various scenic locations during the Lunar New Year Festival.
(5) The Lunar New Year is a major festival for family reunions and for people hoping to brush away bad experiences in the past year and welcome in a fresh new year. It is also one of the few extended holidays in the year that allow people to relax. I hope that all agencies can thoroughly complete every task, and use various channels to fully disclose relevant information, particularly those pertaining to transportation and traffic that must be readily accessible to the public. I hereby ask the Transportation Bureau and Police Bureau to properly enforce plans for traffic distribution to meet the public’s need for smooth travel. I also express my most sincere gratitude to colleagues sacrificing their holidays to serve locals and tourists during the Lunar New Year. Your contributions are the key to a joyous new year.