In a bid to battle the problem of counterfeit rice wines that are thought to have killed several people in Ilan County, the Executive Yuan yesterday established a task force to crack down on bootleg rice wines.
Local governments are currently in charge of investigating counterfeit wines, while the Ministry of Finance is responsible for issuing brewing licenses and quality control.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
The Cabinet is studying the possibility of reducing taxes on distilled liquor, including rice wine.
The tobacco and wine tax of the rice wine is NT$150 per liter and will go up to NT$185 per liter in 2004.
Statistics made available by the National Police Administration yesterday showed that between January and November the police found 158 people suspected of illegally making 44,000kg of fake rice wines, including finished and semi-finished products, with an estimated market price of NT$90 million.
As of Sept. 30, nearly 300 people have been indicted for illegally manufacturing wine and tobacco.
Addressing a press conference at the Executive Yuan yesterday afternoon, Cabinet Spokesman Chuang Shuo-hang (
"Since the government's job is to ensure public health and safety, we don't allow unlicensed brewers to manufacture poor quality wines and jeopardize public health," Chuang said.
According to Susan Chang (
The Taiwan Tobacco & Liquor Corp -- formerly the government alcohol monopoly Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Board -- will join local health departments to offer free rice-wine tests.
The service will be available today and run through to the end of the year.
According to Hwang Ing-san (
"If we find any fake wine, we'll report it and let the judicial system take over," Hwang said.
Those who manufacture fake wines and cause physical damage to, or death of, an individual will face prosecution, said Vice Minister of Justice Hsieh Wen-ting (謝文定).
The Cabinet is considering more severe sentences for those unauthorized to manufacture, import or sell wines.
The Cabinet is also considering raising the bounties for investigators and individuals to encourage them to report cases.
In a bid to help consumers differentiate real wine from fraudulent bottles, the Cabinet is also considering establishing an identification system.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance yesterday requested the manufacturer of the Verolin brand rice wine to immediately stop production and sale of its products and recall those already in the market within seven days.
The ministry also called on the public to stay clear of the product, saying that it contains excessive levels of methanol, which is believed to be the component that caused the deaths in Ilan County.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS