RETAILERS
<strong>FamilyMart plan approved</strong>
Taiwan FamilyMart Co (全家便利商店), the nation’s second-biggest convenience store chain, plans to invest NT$16.8 billion (US$592.7 million) to expand its logistics facilities amid a rise in online shopping, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday as it approved the company’s application to join the government’s “Invest in Taiwan” initiative. FamilyMart said it plans to expand its logistics capacity in Taichung, Hualien County and Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口). The new facilities are to start operations next year and in 2024. The company operates eight logistics centers in Taiwan. Part of the investment would be to install solar panels
The New Power Party (NPP) and civic groups would seek help from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) in their efforts to protect a Vietnam War-era US military compound that the Taichung City Government is seeking to dismantle.
NPP Legislator Chen Jiau-hua (陳椒華) yesterday said the administration of Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) is showing disdain for local cultural history and is seeking to erase the memory of the close Taiwan-US military partnership at the time of the Vietnam War.
Together with civic groups, she has over the past few years been fighting against the planned demolition of the US Military Assistance
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported six local COVID-19 cases.
They are three residents of Taoyuan, and one resident each of New Taipei City, Yilan County and Taichung, said Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is the CECC’s spokesman.
Chuang said the Taichung case is a Singaporean marine surveyor in his 40s, who in the past few weeks boarded boats in ports in central and southern Taiwan for work.
The man tested negative in polymerase chain reaction tests on Monday and Saturday last week, but tested positive on Thursday, with a cycle threshold (Ct) value of 23,
The Taichung City Government on Friday said it would enshrine its goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 in a local ordinance.
It said that the ordinance would be introduced in the spirit of the COP26 climate summit, where world leaders in November last year agreed on a goal of cutting global emissions by 30 percent by 2030, with some countries setting later dates for themselves.
Although Taiwan did not participate in the UN summit, Taichung would require zero emissions from “energy production, industry, residential buildings, public transportation, agriculture and environmental sources” by 2050.
The city would promote efficient energy
Taichung is to introduce harsher punishments for individuals found guilty of child abuse, the Taichung City Government said on Wednesday, after it has been criticized for imposing the minimum fine of NT$60,000 in child abuse cases.
The announcement came after the New Power Party (NPP) criticized the city for being too lenient in several abuse cases at daycare centers.
The NPP told a news conference earlier in the day that since Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) took office in December 2018, at least seven cases of alleged child abuse by caregivers at daycare centers have been reported in the city.
Taichung fined perpetrators