A cross-party legislative panel yesterday called on the state-run China Shipbuilding Corp (CSC) to crack down on employees linked to sloppy construction work at the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant.
Four members of the committee that is probing alleged corruption by fellow lawmakers undertook another fact-finding trip yesterday to the embattled company's headquarters in Kaohsiung.
China Shipbuilding is in charge of building the power plant's reactor pedestal, in which experts have found serious construction flaws.
Sisy Chen (陳文茜), an independent lawmaker and member of the ad-hoc panel, said the panel had to ask China Shipbuilding to supply more documents for their investigation, as the documents previously provided are of little use.
Chen, along with colleagues Lin Kuo-hua (林國華) of the DPP, Huang Chao-shun (黃昭順) of the KMT and Huang Chung-yung (黃宗源) from the TSU, had a closed-door conversation with CSC Chairman Hsu Chiang (徐強).
In mid-June, TSU Legislator Su Ying-kwei (蘇盈貴) claimed that certain DPP lawmakers were involved in the scandal. Su said he could back up his charges with evidence contained in CSC documents.
Hsu, who took over the helm of the CSC on July 1, admitted that the firm is in need of sweeping reforms.
He added that the company's employees demonstrate a lack of competence in areas such as bidding, pricing, writing contracts and executing contractual obligations.
Chen urged Hsu to beef up efforts to weed out negligent officials, saying that the resignations of the CSC's former chairman and general manager was not enough.
The legislature set up a panel to look into the matter after three DPP lawmakers, Liang Mu-yang (
Chen said she hoped the new CSC chief would track down crooked employees and turn them over to law enforcement officers.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
The age requirement for commercial pilots and airline transport pilots is to be lowered by two years, to 18 and 21 years respectively, to expand the pool of pilots in accordance with international standards, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced today. The changes are part of amendments to articles 93, 119 and 121 of the Regulations Governing Licenses and Ratings for Airmen (航空人員檢定給證管理規則). The amendments take into account age requirements for aviation personnel certification in the Convention on International Civil Aviation and EU’s aviation safety regulations, as well as the practical needs of managing aviation personnel licensing, the ministry said. The ministry
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