Starting in January, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will run a one-year trial allowing individuals to apply for Republic of China (ROC) passports in person at designated local household offices.
Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA) Deputy Director Chen Hua-yu (陳華玉) said yesterday the ministry had chosen four cities and counties, but the list would not be unveiled until the Executive Yuan approves the choices.
The ministry had previously planned to begin the trial in May this year at household offices designated by the nation’s 25 local governments, but it was forced to put off the trial because of a shortage of manpower and funding.
Meanwhile, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the ROC next year, Chen said the ministry would issue a “special” passport with a date on issuance of Jan. 1, 2011.
Chen said that Taiwanese citizens who apply for an ROC passport between Dec. 6 and Dec. 17 at BOCA or the ministry’s offices in central, southern and eastern Taiwan would receive a passport with the date of issuance being Jan. 1, 2011. The applicants would also receive a commemorative passport holder, she added.
Normally it is impossible for Jan. 1 to be the date of issuance because it is a national holiday, she said.
Citizens whose passports are still valid can also apply for the “special” passport because the ministry encourages the public to apply for e-passports, she said.
A 100th anniversary logo will also be added to the nation’s visas and relevant documents as part of the government’s efforts to promote the ROC’s centennial anniversary to the world, she said.
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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