Lawmakers are proposing an amendment to the Public Assistance Act (社會救助法) and the establishment of a national food bank to help 260,000 low-income households nationwide.
“If the legislation is passed, Taiwan will become the 22nd country with a food bank network,” Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) told a press conference yesterday.
The proposed amendment to Article 11 of the act would provide the government with a legal basis to help those in need with resources other than a cash subsidy, Lin said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
US Department of Agriculture statistics show that more than 46 million Americans, or about 15 percent of the US population, lived on assistance provided by food banks last year, Lin said.
If the same percentage were applied to Taiwan, about 3.5 million people would need similar assistance, Lin said.
Statistics compiled by the Environmental Protection Administration show that Taiwanese in 2010 wasted 2.75 million tonnes of food, the equivalent of 20 years of -consumption by 260,000 low-income households, Lin said.
“If established, the food bank network would be part of an improved social security net,” Lin said.
A local food bank in Greater Taichung set up by several civic groups has helped more than 20,000 people, said Chen Chieh-fu (陳玠甫), director of the Red Cross Society of Taiwan’s Taichung branch.
However, awareness and knowledge of food banks have to be promoted so that those in need would know where and how to seek help, he said.
With appropriate legislation, donors would be assured that the donation will not be mishandled.
Craig Nemitz, the Global FoodBanking Network’s Director of Field Services, told the press conference that he would love to help Taiwan establish a national food bank, which he said would have a positive impact on social welfare policy.
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
Prosecutors today declined to say who was questioned regarding alleged forgery on petitions to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, after Chinese-language media earlier reported that members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Youth League were brought in for questioning. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau confirmed that two people had been questioned, but did not disclose any further information about the ongoing investigation. KMT Youth League members Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) and Liu Szu-yin (劉思吟) — who are leading the effort to recall DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) — both posted on Facebook saying: “I
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), who led efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), was released on bail of NT$80,000 today amid outcry over his decision to wear a Nazi armband to questioning the night before. Sung arrived at the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning in a recall petition forgery case last night wearing a red armband bearing a swastika, carrying a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf and giving a Nazi salute. Sung left the building at 1:15am without the armband and covering the book with his coat. Lee said today that this is a serious
Firefighters are working to put out a fire on Taipei’s Yangmingshan (陽明山) reported earlier this morning. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The Taipei Fire Department said it received a report of a fire at Xiaoyoukeng (小油坑) at 11:17am, dispatching four command vehicles, 16 firetrucks, one ambulance and 72 personnel. The fire is still burning on about 250m² of land, according to initial estimates, as eyewitnesses reported seeing smoke rising from the mountain. The Yangmingshan National Park Headquarters on Facebook said the Qixingshan (七星山) hiking trail starting from Xiaoyoukeng and the Xiaoyoukeng parking lot are closed as firefighters work to put
RSS