The Control Yuan yesterday proposed corrective measures for the Department of Health (DOH) for failing to quarantine fruit imported from Vietnam that was contaminated with excessive pesticides before they were put on the market.
Control Yuan members Cheng Jen-hung (程仁宏) and Frank Wu (吳豐山) said in their report that DOH officials should not let fruit importers claim their merchandise at customs before the result of pesticide residue tests is released.
When DOH officials learned that the pesticide prochloraz found in a batch of dragon fruit imported from Vietnam was 0.27 parts per million (ppm), much higher than the permissible level, the fruit had already reached market in eight cities and counties, the Control Yuan report said.
PHOTO: CNA
The Control Yuan criticized the DOH for being negligent in its testing procedures, which has resulted in similar cases over the years.
Data compiled by the DOH show that officials denied import licenses for 120 batches of vegetables and fruits between 2006 and this year.
However, 20 batches of substandard fruit and vegetables made it to the market before import permits were denied, the report said.
Meanwhile, the Control Yuan also proposed corrective measures for Fuhsing Township (復興) in Taoyuan County, as well as the Taoyuan County Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB) yesterday for their handling of an incinerator project.
Fuhsing Township was charged with dereliction of duty in procuring land for the county government’s plan to set up an incinerator.
In addition, the DOH criticized the EPB for inviting the winning bidder for the incinerator project to start construction before the government was entitled to use the land, Control Yuan member Lee Ping-nan (李炳南) said.
Also yesterday, the Control Yuan proposed corrective measures for the Construction and Planning Agency of the Ministry of the Interior.
Control Yuan member Lin Ju-liang (林鉅鋃) said in his report that the government paid an additional NT$490 million (US$15 million) on building an expressway from Wanli (萬里) to Juipin (瑞濱) in Taipei County because of problematic designs in the construction design that the agency proposed.
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