Gasoline and diesel prices would only be allowed to fall and not rise from Feb. 16 to 23 as part of measures to stabilize the price of essential goods over the Lunar New Year period, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said today.
Prices of natural gas and cylinder gas would also be frozen for the entire month of February, while car wash prices would not change at CPC service stations, it said.
The Executive Yuan today approved reports submitted by the MOEA, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) to ensure price stabilization and access to essential resources, including healthcare, over the Lunar New Year period.
Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
The MOA said it has guided wholesale markets to increase supplies of several agricultural products and ensure smooth operations.
Supplies of fresh produce, flowers, live hogs, poultry and aquatic products have been increased by between 7 and 140 percent, it said.
Food safety mechanisms would also be boosted, with the MOA and other agencies continuing joint inspections of agricultural products, and focusing on verifying the origin labeling for domestically produced tea and oysters, it said.
It would also enhance border quarantine and disease-prevention measures over the holiday period, the MOA added.
Meanwhile, the MOEA said it would also freeze the prices of cooking oil and sugar for household use, as sold by Taiwan Sugar Co (Taisugar).
Low-price sections are being set up at Taisugar's Million convenience stores (蜜鄰超市), it added.
The MOHW outlined six service initiatives to ensure access to healthcare over the Lunar New Year period: care for vulnerable groups, meeting medical capacity, maintaining long-term care services, providing psychological support, carrying out comprehensive epidemic prevention and ensuring food safety.
It would prepare emergency relief funds, distribute cold-weather clothing or sleeping bags to homeless people in advance, monitor 24-hour emergency medical capacity and review equipment and resources at designated emergency hospitals nationwide, the MOHW said.
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