Uni-President Enterprises Corp yesterday became the first “premium” sponsor for the Summer Universiade in Taipei next year.
The Taipei Market Administration Office told a news conference that Uni-President had agreed to donate bottled water, sports drinks, coffee and snacks valued at more than NT$100 million (US$3.11 million).
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) thanked the firm for its help and encouraged other companies to become sponsors, saying that hosting the Universiade is a matter of national pride.
Asked by reporters whether he had initiated talks with Uni-President about monetary donations, Ko said that the city would first seek supplements from the private sector before dealing with monetary issues.
The city has been in talks with several firms regarding sponsorship and more sponsors would be announced later, he said.
Asked if he would meet with his predecessor, Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌), who has offered to help prepare for the event, Ko said that he would do so “if necessary,” but that Taipei Secretary-General Su Li-chung (蘇麗瓊), the Universiade chief executive, would meet with Hau first.
In other news, Ko said that a questionnaire that subjects agency heads to a peer-review and asks Taipei city councilors to rate agency heads is to be abolished.
The announcement followed criticism from the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Taipei City Council caucus.
Some DPP city councilors reportedly said during a closed-door meeting on Wednesday that the evaluation could become a tool for political manhunts.
The questionnaire was introduced as an all-round “corporate evaluation” tool, but since most DPP councilors objected to it, it would be canceled, Ko said.
He also rejected a Storm Media Group report that Taipei Deputy Mayor Teng Chia-chi (鄧家基), who has spearheaded negotiations with Taipei Dome contractor Farglory Group, is to be “relegated” in future meetings with the firm.
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