A high-level meeting chaired by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday decided on a raft of measures to be adopted in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Presidential Office spokesman Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) said yesterday.
These include the provision of loans to Taiwanese expatriates in Japan, stepping up radiation scanning for passengers arriving at all ports of entry and rigorous nuclear safety drills at schools near Taiwan’s nuclear power plants, Lo said.
The Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission has asked for the immediate activation of a reconstruction loan-credit guarantee mechanism and would work with six Japanese banks to assist Taiwanese living in Japan whose homes, businesses or other property have been destroyed in the disaster.
The number of Taiwanese -living in Japan is estimated to be about 40,000.
The government will also step up assistance to Japan, including the delivery of 5,000 blankets to disaster-stricken areas.
As for preventing radioactive substances from being brought into Taiwan, Lo said the government would continue to monitor passengers and goods arriving from Japan for above-normal radiation levels.
In addition to scanning passengers arriving on flights, the authorities will now inspect those arriving on cruise ships, Lo said.
Regarding the safety of Taiwan’s nuclear power plants — three are in operation while the fourth is under construction — Lo said Taiwan Power Company Co (Taipower, 台電), the operator of the nuclear power plants, applied to extend the service life of the first nuclear power plant in 2009, and the Atomic Energy Council — had yet to complete its review.
This is a highly contentious issue and many legislators have expressed concern about the safety of the plants. Surveys also show a majority of Taiwanese favor halting construction on the fourth plant.
Lo said Taipower continues to closely watch developments at the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, and will reassess whether to extend the service of Taiwan’s existing nuclear power plants based on the findings of the International Atomic Energy Agency on the cause of the Fukushima crisis and measures to prevent such an incident from reoccurring.
The six reactors at Taiwan’s three existing power plants began operations from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s. Environmental groups have said they were built with old technology, are nearing the end of their lifespan and should be taken out of service.
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