Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday said that there is no plan for a Cabinet reshuffle any time soon.
Su made the remark at a news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei marking the second anniversary of his Cabinet.
He has never found the job tiring or bothersome, and he cherishes the opportunity that the people have given him to serve, Su said, adding thanks to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) for her confidence in him.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
While most premiers experience a decline in popularity from the moment they take on the role — as it involves decisions that cannot please everyone — he could only try to satisfy the majority, Su said.
“A premier can choose to do something for their government or they can be an ornament,” he said. “I chose the former.”
Asked whether the Tsai administration would “ambush” the public by allowing imports of radiation-free food from Japan the same way it had announced changes to the rules for US pork imports in August last year, Su denied the premise of the question.
The government had not “ambushed ” the public on the issue of US pork imports containing traces of ractopamine, he said.
It followed proper procedures, he said.
Taiwan banned food imports from five Japanese prefectures after the 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster, which is seen as a barrier to the nation joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The government is closely monitoring pork imports after the new rules went into effect on Jan. 1, Su said, adding that he has personally inspected the screening processes.
A Web site launched by the government on Monday last week shows the percentage of local and imported pork on the market, as well as the results of tests for ractopamine residues, he said.
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