Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2016-12-18

1)

One of the top stories from this past week was that the government passed a legal amendment to increase fines on Uber, the latest move in its struggle to combat the shared ride service’s operations. The amendment increases the maximum fine for operating a transportation service without a license to NT$25 million (US$780,000).

The internet-based service has proven as popular in Taiwan as in many other countries, leading the government to see the service as a threat to local licensed cabbies and to its authority.

A ruling party lawmaker said the goal of raising the fines was to persuade Uber to apply for an operating license and compete on a level playing field. In addition to the fines against Uber, the amendment paves the way for punishing drivers by revoking their driver’s license for between four months and one year.

2)

Also this past week, the government vowed to strengthen the inspection of small seasoning packets that are included in packaged foods imported from Japan. Deputy Health and Welfare Minister Ho Chi-kung made the vow on Friday after soy sauce packets were discovered from one of the five prefectures affected by the Fukushima meltdown of 2011. Foods from those prefectures are banned in Taiwan.

Ho said checks on the origin of packets have already been increased because of concerns over radiation contamination. Packaged foods will also be unpacked when going through customs in Taiwan and Japanese food available on the market has also come under scrutiny.

Ho said the government will continue to monitor online sales of imported Japanese foods.    [FULL  STORY]