MOI to clampdown on firecrackers

"It will be hard to impose a complete ban on firecrackers. If this draft is passed ... local governments will be able to restrict the place and time, as well as the type of firecrackers used."

Hsu Ying-shan, vice minister of the interior

The Ministry of the Interior has released the draft of a firecracker management regulation (爆竹煙火管理條例), which, if passed, will restrict the manufacturing and detonation of firecrackers.

"Since the use of firecrackers for festivals and celebrations has long been the custom in Taiwan, it will be hard to impose a complete ban on firecrackers. If this draft is passed, however, local governments will be able to restrict the place and time, as well as the type of firecrackers used," said Vice Minister of the Interior Hsu Ying-shan (許應深).

In order to crack down underground firecracker factories, the ministry included six items in the draft law. For example, any one convicted of illegally producing firecrackers or selling improperly labeled firecrackers could receive up to three years in prison.

"Next year, we will establish the procedures for importing firecrackers in order to reduce the risks involved with domestic production. We are also requiring that all firecrackers factories obtain public-accident-responsibility insurance" the ministry said.

The ministry said that confiscated firecrackers will be destroyed once they have been photographed for evidence purposes.

"We are also devising sound-effect products to replace real firecrackers," Hsu said.

As the Lunar New Year holiday is drawing near, the ministry is concerned about preventing a repeat of the explosion and fire at the Chu-feng Firecracker Factory in Miaoli Country last Sunday night that killed five people and injured 15 others.

"The ministry and the Council of Labor Affairs have asked for the cooperation of local governments in carrying out safety inspections and cracking down on illegal manufacturing" the ministry said.

Officials are also encouraging the public to report the illegal production of firecrackers by setting up a hotline (02-8590-2756). If a tip pans out, the informant is eligible for a reward ranging from NT$10,000 to NT$ 500,000.

Last week, Minister of the

Interior Yu Chen-hsien (余政憲) proposed establishing a single location for firecrackers factories in order to centralize safety management but the idea was quickly dropped due to concerns over how to ensure the safety of surrounding areas.

According to Huang Kuei-nan (黃癸楠), vice commissioner of Chiayi County and former labor-insurance director general, between 1998 and May of last year, there were 11 cases of firecracker factory explosions, which resulted in 22 deaths and injured 37 people.

"Safety inspectors and fire department personnel work very hard in conducting safety inspections. In the past few decades, however, the government has failed to take aggressive measures to eradicate this problem," he said.

Huang said legal firecracker factories have a low accident rate as they are inspected by government officials several times a year. He said underground factories are the biggest hazard, both to their neighbors and firefighters.

"The accident rate of underground factories is too high. These factories must be eliminated, or else the accident and death toll will rise every year," Huang said.