The Cabinet yesterday reassured the public that there is an ample supply of toilet paper and there is no need to stockpile paper out of panic.
Amid reports yesterday that toilet paper was flying off shelves as consumers flocked to supermarkets due to reports that prices would rise dramatically next month, Cabinet spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) said there is sufficient supply and people need not panic.
The Executive Yuan’s Consumer Protection Committee confirmed with supermarket chains that shelves have been replenished and there is sufficient stock, Hsu said.
Photo: CNA
The expected rise in toilet paper prices follows an increase in international pulp prices, but a rise in the retail prices of toilet paper would not affect the prices of other commodities, because toilet paper is an end product, Hsu said.
Some retail chains are still putting toilet rolls on sale at reduced prices and consumers’ bulk buying of toilet paper is caused by panic over the price rise, Hsu said, adding that the committee and the Fair Trade Commission would closely monitor short-term fluctuations in toilet paper prices to prevent price collusion.
Meanwhile, as the legislature starts its new session today, Premier William Lai (賴清德) is to address the Legislative Yuan to report on product prices, the proposed reactivation of a nuclear reactor and the government response following the deadly earthquake on Feb. 6.
Legislative caucuses only yesterday agreed on the starting date of the session during a cross-caucus meeting at which they requested that Lai report on those issues.
“The rise in toilet paper prices is not a simple matter,” People First Party caucus whip Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) said. “During the oil crisis, the government did not intervene in the rise of retail prices until it was too late. It is a serious a matter.”
Lai should make a detailed report on government earthquake response, power supply and the rise in retail prices, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus convener Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) said.
Democratic Progressive Party caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) asked Lai to deliver written reports on the three issues raised by the KMT, in addition to a planned report on the Executive Yuan’s policy agenda.
LOUD AND PROUD Taiwan might have taken a drubbing against Australia and Japan, but you might not know it from the enthusiasm and numbers of the fans Taiwan might not be expected to win the World Baseball Classic (WBC) but their fans are making their presence felt in Tokyo, with tens of thousands decked out in the team’s blue, blowing horns and singing songs. Taiwanese fans have packed out the Tokyo Dome for all three of their games so far and even threatened to drown out home team supporters when their team played Japan on Friday. They blew trumpets, chanted for their favorite players and had their own cheerleading squad who dance on a stage during the game. The team struggled to match that exuberance on the field, with
UPDATED TEST: The new rules aim to assess drivers’ awareness of risky behaviors and how they respond under certain circumstances, the Highway Bureau said Driver’s license applicants who fail to yield to pedestrians at intersections or to check blind spots, or omit pointing-and-calling procedures would fail the driving test, the Highway Bureau said yesterday. The change is set to be implemented at the end of the month, and is part of the bureau’s reform of the driving portion of the test, which has been criticized for failing to assess whether drivers can operate vehicles safely. Sedan drivers would be tested regarding yielding to pedestrians and turning their heads to check blind spots, while drivers of large vehicles would be tested on their familiarity with pointing-and-calling
Whether Japan would help defend Taiwan in case of a cross-strait conflict would depend on the US and the extent to which Japan would be allowed to act under the US-Japan Security Treaty, former Japanese minister of defense Satoshi Morimoto said. As China has not given up on the idea of invading Taiwan by force, to what extent Japan could support US military action would hinge on Washington’s intention and its negotiation with Tokyo, Morimoto said in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) yesterday. There has to be sufficient mutual recognition of how Japan could provide
A Taiwanese man apologized on Friday after saying in a social media post that he worked with Australia to provide scouting reports on Taiwan’s team, enabling Australia’s victory in this year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC), saying it was a joke and that he did not hold any position with foreign teams or Taiwan’s sports training center. Chen Po-hao (陳柏豪) drew the rage of many Taiwan baseball fans when he posted online on Thursday night, claiming credit for Australia’s 3-0 win over Taiwan in the opening game for Pool C, saying he worked as a physical therapist with the national team and
RSS