At Thursday's meeting of the Cabinet, Premier Lai Ching-te said that the new Cabinet-level Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) will be inaugurated on April 28 in Kaohsiung. The OAC will centralize and systematically consolidate responsibility for the full range of maritime affairs currently spread among disparate ministries and agencies.
Following a report by the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) on past accomplishments and the future outlook of the CGA, the premier observed that as an island nation, Taiwan must properly manage maritime affairs to ensure ongoing development, and the establishment of the OAC demonstrates the importance that the government places on maritime issues. Although it will be subsumed into the new OCA, the CGA's essential character and authority will remain unchanged as it continues close cooperation with other ministries and agencies to protect the nation and people, and ensure the sustainable harvest of ocean resources.