Premier Su Tseng-chang on Thursday said that the seismic retrofitting and reinforcement of older buildings and other structures to withstand earthquakes is a project closely tied to the lives and assets of the public. Government organizations should live up to the expectations of the initiative, setting a good example for the people by prioritizing budgeting of funds and speeding up work on the necessary improvements.
The premier's remarks came after a report by the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) on a strategy to accelerate implementation of seismic retrofitting of older public buildings.
At present, the capability of a full 97 percent of older public structures to withstand seismic activity has been evaluated in detail, but follow-up reinforcement work is lagging. Premier Su directed the MOI to continue stepping up management and controls in order that the retrofitting of buildings used by the central government can be completed by 2023. The MOI was also instructed to assist in meeting a 2025 goal for the completion of required seismic reinforcement of older structures under the jurisdiction of local governments.