1)
Oil products imported into Taiwan are subject to stricter control starting November 1, according to the announcement of the economics ministry on Friday. The new proposed measure came amid a tainted oil scandal that has affected hundreds, if not thousands, businesses.
The ministry said that it will work with the health ministry and the agriculture council to monitor all types of oil imports to Taiwan, including oil for industrial use, oil for animal feed, and edible oil. Importers will need to report the details of their shipment, inventory, and sales to the authorities every month. The three agencies will be sharing these data to make sure that all the imported oil products are used in the right places.
The economics ministry also proposed to raise the penalties for importers who do not regularly submit their import reports. The law amendment was sent to the Cabinet on Friday.
2)
Taiwan’s GDP rose 3.78% from a year earlier in the third quarter, beating an earlier government estimate of 3.62%.
The government statistics office made the announcement on Friday. Citing an advance estimate, the office said that the third quarter GDP growth reached the highest level since the fourth quarter of 2012. The office said the growth was mainly due to an increase in electronics, machinery, and base metal exports.
However, despite the better-than-expected growth, domestic demand was affected in the quarter by food safety concerns. This pushed down revenue growth in local restaurants to 2.55% from 4.58% in the second quarter.
3)
Interior Minister Chen Wei-zen announced on Wednesday that starting Oct. 30, senior civil servants pursuing advanced education in China have to face penalties.
Senior civil servants are banned from studying in China. But there are still many who flout the regulations and travel to China to pursue further education. The interior ministry has recently approved penalties for officials that violate the ban on study in China.
The minister said the penalties were approved after careful consideration of Taiwan’s national security needs. But different agencies can decide if the new law should be applied to past infringements.