The government is scheduled to establish Taiwan Port Co by 2012, which would operate the nation’s major international seaports in a corporate management style, according to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.
The ministry said the change was proposed in compliance with the national policy to reorganize the central government’s agencies, adding that it was also seen as a way to salvage the global ranking of the Port of Kaohsiung, the nation’s principal seaport, which had fallen out of the international top 10 in 2008.
Based on the preliminary plan from the ministry’s Department of Navigation and Aviation, all of the nation’s major international seaports will be the branches of Taiwan Port Co, including the Port of Kaohsiung, Port of Keelung, Port of Taichung and Hualien Port.
The plan will divide the operations of the seaports into two parts, the ministry said. The part that involves government authority will be handled by the ministry’s Port Bureau. Taiwan Port Co, on the other hand, will be in charge of managing the seaports, such as attracting investments from overseas. The plan will also aim to solve the issue of aging seaport employees by reorganizing seaport personnel, the ministry said.
Currently, the average age of seaport employees is 53. Of the 4,000 seaport employees, the ministry plans to transfer about 700 of them to the Port Bureau, while the rest will be working for the port company.
Regarding the assets and properties currently owned by harbor bureaus in the above-stated seaports, the Department of Navigation and Aviation said it is planning to recruit a consulting firm to examine some of the issues, including the proportion of assets that can be transferred to the port company. When asked whether the calculation methods for the volumes of cargo and containers handled, which are two important indicators of competitiveness, could be changed since all the seaports will be managed by the new entity, the department said issues of this kind would need further discussion.
Chinese spouse and influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China videos that threaten national security, the National Immigration Agency confirmed today. Guan Guan has said many controversial statements in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” and expressing hope for expedited reunification. The agency last year received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification. After verifying the reports, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and explain her actions. Guan
GIVE AND TAKE: Blood demand continues to rise each year, while fewer young donors are available due to the nation’s falling birthrate, a doctor said Blood donors can redeem points earned from donations to obtain limited edition Formosan black bear travel mugs, the Kaohsiung Blood Center said yesterday, as it announced a goal of stocking 20,000 units of blood prior to the Lunar New Year. The last month of the lunar year is National Blood Donation Month, when local centers seek to stockpile blood for use during the Lunar New Year holiday. The blood demand in southern Taiwan — including Tainan and Kaohsiung, as well as Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Taitung counties — is about 2,000 units per day, the center said. The donation campaign aims to boost
The Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau audited six hotels in an effort to prevent price gouging ahead of Korean band BTS’ concert tour in the city scheduled for Nov. 19, 21 and 22 this year. The bureau on Friday said that the audits — conducted in response to allegations of unfair pricing posted on social media — found no wrongdoing. These establishments included the local branches of Chateau de Chine, Hotel Nikko, My Humble House, and Grand Hai Lai, it said, adding that the Consumer Protection Commission would have penalized price gougers had the accusations been substantiated. The bureau said the Tourism Development Act
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) said a magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck off the coast of eastern Taiwan yesterday was an independent event and part of a stress-adjustment process. The earthquake occurred at 4:47pm, with its epicenter at sea about 45.4km south of Yilan County Hall at a depth of 5.9km, the CWA said. The quake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in several townships in Yilan and neighboring Hualien County, where it measured 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the CWA said. Lin Po-yu (林柏佑), a division chief at the CWA's Seismological Center, told a news conference
RSS