2016 December Hot Audit News
The Taipei City Audit Division found that due to the lack of an overall marketing plan, the Taipei City Blue Highway promoted by the Taipei City Government has operated with few passengers for years. Also, the Taipei City Government implemented channel dredging without being concerned with the characteristics of the river, resulting in the failure to achieve the goal of full-time navigation. After the Division called for improvement, the Taipei City Government decided not to establish new piers in the near future, and it will promote water activities at the existing five piers with joint marketing events that integrate the activities within the City Government offered by the Department of Information and Tourism. According to the statistics, the number of passengers boarding the Blue Highway from July to August in 2016 was 15,126, an increase of 111.16% over the same period in 2015. On the other hand, after reviewing the investment effectiveness of channel dredging, the operating model of the Blue Highway has been changed to having the ship companies assess hydrologic conditions and to use shallow draft ships for cruises. In addition, channel dredging was implemented by focusing on landscape and environmental protection, and it was reduced to avoid wasting money.
The Audit Division on Education and Agriculture found that the total amount of public grain purchased by the Council of Agriculture of the Executive Yuan in 2013 was 900,000 tons (equivalent to 700,000 tons of brown rice), exceeding the legal safety stock (300,000 tons of brown rice). It was too large to sell, resulting in a deficit of NT$4.4 billion in 2013, an increase from NT$3 billion in 2009. The deficit was a heavy burden on the government’s finances. After the Division called for improvement, the Council of Agriculture has: (1) assisted farmers to plant imported substitution crops (such as buckwheat, sesame, coix, mesona chinensis, oil tea and tea), and the amount of public grain purchased has been reduced from 480,000 tons at NT$11.9 billion in 2013 to 360,000 tons at NT$8.8 billion in 2015; (2) implemented the public auction of grain, and the sales amount of brown rice of public grain was increased from 290,000 tons in 2013 to 450,000 tons in 2015; at the end of 2015, the public grain stock was reduced to 790,000 tons, equivalent to 610,000 tons of brown rice; (3) reviewed the performance of 6 towns in the Yangmei District of Taoyuan City, where farmers received a NT$10,000 direct payment per hectare of rice instead of handing over the public grain.
In March 2016, the Taipei City Audit Division found that 3 of the 24 schools assigned for earthquake evacuation by the Taipei City Government were built before May 1, 1997, with the occupancy coefficient of seismic capacity evaluation and retrofitting at 1.25, which is lower than the new criteria of 1.5, yet these schools were still appointed as earthquake evacuation shelters. After the Division called for improvement, the City Government selected 3 alternative schools for earthquake evacuation to ensure the safety of those evacuated. It also assessed the potential risk of other schools to ensure safety.
The Audit Division on Construction and Communication found that the Post Mall online shopping platform operated by the Chunghwa Post Company was hacked in May 2016, with information on 17 thousand orders being stolen, hundreds of members receiving scam phone calls and 3 of them being scammed for a total of NT$80 thousand. After the Division called for improvement, the Company implemented the following improvements: added a limit of writing permission to avoid hackers uploading malicious programs, established website monitoring and notification mechanisms for changes in directory files, included the related systems of the Post Mall under firewall protection, and amended “Post Mall System Security Operation Rules” on October 4, 2016 to strengthen the protection of consumer rights and the safety of transactions.
The Audit Division on Education and Agriculture found that the total amount of public grain purchased by the Council of Agriculture of the Executive Yuan in 2013 was 900,000 tons (equivalent to 700,000 tons of brown rice), exceeding the legal safety stock (300,000 tons of brown rice). It was too large to sell, resulting in a deficit of NT$4.4 billion in 2013, an increase from NT$3 billion in 2009. The deficit was a heavy burden on the government’s finances. After the Division called for improvement, the Council of Agriculture has: (1) assisted farmers to plant imported substitution crops (such as buckwheat, sesame, coix, mesona chinensis, oil tea and tea), and the amount of public grain purchased has been reduced from 480,000 tons at NT$11.9 billion in 2013 to 360,000 tons at NT$8.8 billion in 2015; (2) implemented the public auction of grain, and the sales amount of brown rice of public grain was increased from 290,000 tons in 2013 to 450,000 tons in 2015; at the end of 2015, the public grain stock was reduced to 790,000 tons, equivalent to 610,000 tons of brown rice; (3) reviewed the performance of 6 towns in the Yangmei District of Taoyuan City, where farmers received a NT$10,000 direct payment per hectare of rice instead of handing over the public grain.
In March 2016, the Taipei City Audit Division found that 3 of the 24 schools assigned for earthquake evacuation by the Taipei City Government were built before May 1, 1997, with the occupancy coefficient of seismic capacity evaluation and retrofitting at 1.25, which is lower than the new criteria of 1.5, yet these schools were still appointed as earthquake evacuation shelters. After the Division called for improvement, the City Government selected 3 alternative schools for earthquake evacuation to ensure the safety of those evacuated. It also assessed the potential risk of other schools to ensure safety.
The Audit Division on Construction and Communication found that the Post Mall online shopping platform operated by the Chunghwa Post Company was hacked in May 2016, with information on 17 thousand orders being stolen, hundreds of members receiving scam phone calls and 3 of them being scammed for a total of NT$80 thousand. After the Division called for improvement, the Company implemented the following improvements: added a limit of writing permission to avoid hackers uploading malicious programs, established website monitoring and notification mechanisms for changes in directory files, included the related systems of the Post Mall under firewall protection, and amended “Post Mall System Security Operation Rules” on October 4, 2016 to strengthen the protection of consumer rights and the safety of transactions.