Vice Premier Chang San-cheng met with government agencies this morning to discuss a wide range of preparatory measures to keep citizens safe for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, which falls on February 6-14 this year.
The Ministry of the Interior's (MOI) holiday safety plans include building inspections and disaster preparation. Chang asked the ministry to work with subordinate agencies and local authorities to make sure these measures are carried out properly. He also instructed the MOI to increase public awareness on the use of indoor electric heaters so as to prevent fire accidents or carbon monoxide poisoning.
With large numbers of people returning home or traveling over the week-long holiday, Vice Premier Chang directed the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) and other agencies to implement traffic safety measures, prepare emergency response mechanisms, and increase transport capacity. The MOTC should also inform the public of these measures through a variety of channels.
As for financial services, the vice premier asked the Financial Supervisory Commission to work with local banks to ensure that ATMs, payment tools, online banking and other financial customer services run uninterrupted throughout the week.
To prevent spikes in the prices of agricultural products, the Council of Agriculture (COA) was instructed to monitor supply and demand closely, redistribute stocks as needed, and ensure sanitary handling of products. The Executive Yuan called a meeting of the price stabilization task force Wednesday and instructed the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Fair Trade Commission and the Executive Yuan's Department of Consumer Protection to keep an eye on commodity prices, making certain that commonly used products are in ample supply and that prices remain level.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) reported that its holiday preparations include: assistance and care for disadvantaged groups, suicide prevention efforts, uninterrupted health care services, control of the spread of influenza and communicable diseases, food safety measures and consumer rights protection. The MOHW's website also provides information (in Chinese) on where to find health and welfare services during the holiday period.
Chang asked the MOHW to step up food safety inspections and remind consumers to make smart choices. The MOHW should also work with other agencies and local authorities to set up communication and response mechanisms for emergency patient care, assistance for the disadvantaged, and monitoring of transmissible diseases.