Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday instructed officials to pursue payment of fines by people who breached quarantine conditions “as an example to others,” after a report revealed that only 28 percent of the total amount had been paid.
In a report to the Executive Yuan, the Administrative Enforcement Agency said that as of Monday, 1,390 people had been issued fines by local governments for breaching quarantine regulations, incurring NT$177.69 million (US$6.25 million) in total fines.
Of them, 568 have paid NT$48.99 million, or 41 percent of the fines issued and 28 percent of the total amount, the Ministry of Justice agency said.
Photo: CNA
A total of 428 cases have been transferred to the central government to collect NT$72.88 million, of which 144 fines totaling NT$15.58 million had been collected, the agency said.
Another 104 fines totaling NT$2.82 million have been partially collected, it said.
No matter which agency issued them, all fines should be collected from this “extreme minority” of people to prove the government’s resolve to others who might consider breaching quarantine, Su said.
After the risk of locally transmitted infections rose this month, the agency convened a meeting to instruct agencies nationwide how to accelerate enforcement efforts from this week.
The measures include sending personnel to check the savings, vehicle ownership and immovable assets of those who have been issued fines, the agency said.
Those who owe NT$100,000 or more would be restricted from leaving the country if possible, while officials could apply to the courts for permission to detain debtors, it said.
Those who do not have the financial ability would be encouraged to pay in installments, it said.
At present, 108 people have been barred from leaving the country, 26 of whom are foreign nationals, while one person has been taken into custody, the agency said.
Meanwhile, Executive Yuan Secretary-General Li Meng-yen (李孟諺) said that there are enough quarantine rooms to accommodate the people returning for the Lunar New Year holiday.
An additional 4,500 hotel rooms have been set aside for quarantining returnees for a total of 21,000, while the number of government rooms has been increased from 3,200 to 4,000, Li said.
Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥) said that the greatest wave of returnees has just passed and quarantine hotels were only about 76 percent full as of Wednesday.
About 1,000 hotel rooms are available every day, more than enough to accommodate the returnees, Chen said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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