New national, local rules taking effect in Taiwan in July

Taipei, June 30 (CNA) Several amended national regulations and new local ordinances have been gradually announced to take effect around Taiwan in July.

CNA has compiled a list of the new and amended policies from central administrations and local municipal governments, from the repeal of mandatory rabies shots for indoor cats to new ordinances charging for single-use dining utensils in some schools and government offices.

Central Weather Administration

★Wind strength forecast for coastal townships during typhoon season

The weather agency will provide wind strength forecasts for coastal townships as a new service during typhoon season.

The service will include video conferences between administration officials and the mayors and magistrates of coastal locations to address the difference in wind strength observed inland and around the coast.

The service aims to provide local leaders with more information when contemplating work and school suspensions.

Ministry of Health and Welfare

★Shortening of postoperative hospital stays

The ministry is launching a NT$60 million (US$2.06 million) plan to shorten postoperative hospital stays for those undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery.

The aim is to incentivize health care providers to consolidate caretaking personnel and resources, improve preoperative preparations, enhance quality of surgery care, better control health care expenses, provide better care to surgery patients, and discharge them earlier.

The current plan will apply to patients aged 70 and older starting in July.

The current plan will apply starting in July to patients aged 70 and older, as well as to those who score a 3 or 4 on the scale used to assess anesthesia risk.

Ministry of Agriculture

★Mandatory rabies vaccination for indoor cats abolished

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency under the ministry released a notice recently to indicate that pet cats who are kept indoors will no longer require mandatory rabies vaccinations starting from July.

The new policy includes indoor cats who are transported in containers such as pet strollers and baskets when taken outside, the agency said.

Pet cats who are allowed to freely go between indoors and outdoors will still need to get the shots, the agency added.

Ministry of the Interior

★Large architecture with air raid shelters included in inspection checks

Buildings constructed with air raid shelters should be reported to the government and be subjected to safety inspections.

The safety checks are aimed at ensuring that the buildings will be up to standard for use by members of the general public during emergencies and drills.

Ministry of Labor

★The ministry said it will seek to amend the laws in July to double worker compensation death benefits from NT$100,000 to NT$200,000.

Taipei

★City government departments, schools to charge for single-use dining utensils

Starting July 22, both public and private schools under the jurisdiction of the Taipei City government will start charging for single-use dining utensils.

Besides schools, Taipei's municipal departments, offices and other city government-operated locations will also begin charging a fee for single-use dining utensils.

According to the city, fees for the utensil must not be lower than NT$1.

The city also added that it estimates about 280 city offices and schools will be a part of the program to help the city eliminate around 27 million units of trash a year.

★Taipei hotels banned from providing disposable amenities

As a part of Taipei's green initiative, commercial lodging such as hotels and inns will no longer provide disposable amenities starting July 22.

Such items include hair brushes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shaving cream and shower caps.

Businesses found to be providing such items will be subjected to fines between NT$3,000 and NT$10,000.

★Designated area becomes air pollution control zone

The area between the capital's Xinsheng South Road and the Songjiang-Mingchuan intersection will be included in the city's third phase of air pollution control.

Cranes, diesel-powered commercial vehicles, small trucks over three years old, and motorcycles over five years old entering the zone must be certified.

Vehicles in the district that fail to meet certification requirements will be subject to fines ranging from NT$500 to NT$5,000.

Kaohsiung

★Newborn subsidy

The southern port city announced that parents of children born in the city will be able to get a NT$30,000 newborn subsidy for each new baby after 10 months of residence.

Previously, only those living in Kaohsiung for over a year could claim the new-baby bonus.

★Insurance required to access electric YouBike

As one of the first cities to mass-incorporate the electric version of Taiwan's national bicycle sharing system into its public transportation service, Kaohsiung announced that starting July, only riders who are insured may access YouBike2.0E.

★Chengqing Lake now a ticket-free tourist site

The city government will completely take over management of Chengqing Lake, a popular tourist destination, in July. To further boost tourism and the metro system, the location will no longer charge entrance fees to any visitors.

Pingtung County

★Tourism-conservation fee imposed upon Geban Bay Beach

With the growing popularity of Pingtung's Geban Bay Beach and the intertidal zone on Liuqiu Island, a new tax will be introduced to promote sustainable tourism and support environmental conservation efforts.

The tax will be implemented as a tourism and environmental protection fee of NT$60.