Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) chief Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said yesterday that there wouldn't be a policy change on a ban of plastic bags and disposable food containers and made it clear that violators will be fined starting Feb. 16.
Hau made the remarks at a news conference called to dismiss a report by a local newspaper which said fines for the second-phase ban -- already implemented on Jan. 1 -- will be issued later and that restaurants will be excluded from the measure.
Describing the report as "groundless," Hau stressed that fines will be issued beginning on Feb. 16 as had been planned and reiterated that the ban remains effective for six sectors of businesses covered in the second phase: restaurants, department stores, hypermarkets, supermarkets and shopping malls, convenience stores and fast food chain stores.
Starting that day, businesses which fail to abide by the ban will be given a warning notice first and will be fined at least NT$60,000 (about US$1,727) if they continue to ignore the warning a month later, he explained.
The EPA head urged businesses not to be misguided by the report and called on them to comply fully with the program.
The EPA issued the first-stage restrictions in July last year on public establishments, schools and hospitals which have been required to follow the rule since October. Traditional markets, street vendors, fresh meat and vegetable businessmen are not included in the ban.
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