Taiwan Water Corp chairman Kuo Chun-ming (郭俊銘) on Wednesday said there will be no increase in the cost of water in the coming year.
Kuo made the announcement at a news conference following a handover ceremony.
Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Yang Wei-fu (楊偉甫) presided over the event in which former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Kuo formally took over as head of the public utility.
Kuo said that this year’s rainfall has been sufficient, adding that he hopes typhoons will not make landfall for the remainder of the year or that excessive rainfall disrupts operations.
Although no water rate increases are expected over the next 12 months, Kuo said the public should still try to conserve water.
Kou said that he and Yang held official discussions about projects to maintain the quality of the water supply and protect sources that would involve the Water Resources Agency, the Environmental Protection Administration and the Council of Agriculture.
“Public awareness about the importance of environmental protection is still the best way to protect the nation’s water supply, which Taiwan Water depends on to provide high-quality water in sufficient quantities,” he said.
As for the discrepancy between water prices in Taipei and the rest of the nation, Kuo said that the Taipei City Government has adjusted its water rates to the national standard, but Taiwan has two water-supply systems and a non-partisan majority of lawmakers in the legislature support the measures to merge the two.
However, Kuo described merging the Taipei Water Department with Taiwan Water Corp as a “highly intricate process” and promised to respect the Taipei City Government and City Council in carrying out the operation, adding that he is to meet Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) to discuss excess water from the Feitsui Reservoir (翡翠水庫).
“We hope that the excess water could be connected to New Taipei City and Taoyuan County to stabilize supplies in the north, which is highly significant,” Kuo said.
Taiwan’s water rates are the third-lowest among nations that have national water infrastructure, Kuo said, adding that there has been no increase in about 23 years and no new sources of potable water are available.
Improving the efficiency of water pipelines will play an important role in ensuring continued water supply, Kuo said.
Although the public and the government are both wary of higher water rates, Kuo said that improving the quality and quantity of water “depends on raising funds for the replacement of aging infrastructure,” adding that the public and elected officials need to support increasing water prices.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
RSS