A slew of new measures and regulations are to come into effect on Wednesday, covering the Executive Yuan’s Triple Stimulus Voucher program, vehicle licensing, a Green Living campaign and an expansion of the food allergens required to be listed on labeling.
As of Wednesday, people can order their NT$3,000 vouchers online, and link their order to either their credit card or a mobile payment service.
A range of domestic travel subsidies would also be available until Oct. 1, with tour group members eligible for NT$700 per person per night at a hotel and NT$1,200 at a hotel on Kinmen, Matsu or Penghu, while independent travelers would receive NT$1,000 per night.
Taiwanese born after July 1, 2001, are eligible for free entry to amusement parks until Aug. 31, and Taiwan Tour Bus passengers on half-day or full-day trips would get “buy one, get one free” offers.
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications said that drivers of all vehicles would be allowed to apply for license plates, examinations or other services at all motor vehicle offices nationwide, not just their local offices, while the age limit for professional drivers of large passenger vehicles is to be conditionally expanded to 68 years.
Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is to be licensed as food additive under the Application and Limitation of Food Additives (食品添加物使用範圍及限量暨規格標準) and the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), the Food and Drug Administration said.
Mandatory food allergen labels would now cover 11 allergens: shellfish, mangoes, peanuts, cow or goat milk, eggs, nuts, sesame, gluten-containing grains, soybeans, fish and fish products, and sulfites, it said.
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) is to launch a Green Living campaign to encourage people to eat at eco-friendly restaurants to earn “green points” that can be exchanged for discounts.
Stricter standards in the Drinking Water Quality Standards (飲用水水質標準) covering nickel, mercury, chloride, vinyl chloride, toluene and xylene take effect on Wednesday, the EPA added.
Businesses with more than 200 employees must implement a respiratory protection plan, the Ministry of Labor said.
A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
CRITICAL MOVE: TSMC’s plan to invest another US$100 billion in US chipmaking would boost Taiwan’s competitive edge in the global market, the premier said The government would ensure that the most advanced chipmaking technology stays in Taiwan while assisting Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) in investing overseas, the Presidential Office said yesterday. The statement follows a joint announcement by the world’s largest contract chipmaker and US President Donald Trump on Monday that TSMC would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next four years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US, which would include construction of three new chip fabrication plants, two advanced packaging facilities, and a research and development center. The government knew about the deal in advance and would assist, Presidential
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