Taipei City Government press conference explains response measures to market closure; Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation General Manager Wu Yin-ning conspicuously absent

The second round of the volume-and-price battle triggered by the three-day closure of the Taipei fruit and vegetable auction market will kick off at dawn tomorrow (the 8th). Chen Ching-chun, who concurrently serves as Taipei Deputy Mayor and Chairman of Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation, together with Hsu Hsuan-mou, Director of the Taipei City Government Market Administration Office, held a "Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation Market Reopening Response Measures Press Conference." The Market Administration Office stressed that it has instructed Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation to follow the enhanced operating model used before Chinese New Year and to activate an all-staff no-leave policy, and also called on farmers to ship flexibly and on major wholesalers and consumers to increase purchase volumes; at the same time, Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation should also adjust unloading areas and traffic dispersal to facilitate rapid distribution of supply.

Hsu Hsuan-mou said he would go to the auction site tonight to monitor operations, hoping everything would come to a satisfactory conclusion. But what about Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation General Manager Wu Yin-ning, who is chiefly responsible for operations at the auction site? Wu Yin-ning had been listed among those attending today's response measures press conference, and Hsu Hsuan-mou also notified her by phone, but as of the end of the press conference, Wu Yin-ning remained conspicuously absent.

Hsu Hsuan-mou: Hope it comes to a satisfactory conclusion

Chen further pointed out that when meetings were held last year, the Council of Agriculture was also invited to attend, but the Council of Agriculture did not attend, "which is also very puzzling." And after the resolution was made, he had not heard of the Council of Agriculture inviting discussions on whether to reduce the number of holidays; it was not until last week, when the market closure problem emerged, that the Council of Agriculture pushed all responsibility onto the Taipei City Government. "The central and local governments are in a partnership and should sit down and negotiate supporting measures, rather than claiming no responsibility at all for everything."

Hsu Hsuan-mou said the Market Administration Office will work with the Council of Agriculture and the Agriculture and Food Agency to jointly carry out related response measures for the three-day market closure after the Lantern Festival, and will go to the site in the early hours of today to monitor operations, hoping everything comes to a satisfactory conclusion.

Chen Ching-chun: When it comes to taking power, it is a general manager system; when there is responsibility, it becomes a chairman system

As the market closure controversy has developed to this point, Wu Yin-ning, the Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation general manager recommended by the Council of Agriculture, has continued to remain conspicuously absent. Will Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation pursue accountability? In the future, will the cooperation between the Taipei Agricultural Products Marketing Corporation chairman and general manager, nominated respectively by the Taipei City Government and the Council of Agriculture, develop cracks because of this? "No comment." Chen Ching-chun could only respond helplessly, "When it comes to taking power, it is a general manager system; when there is responsibility, it becomes a chairman system."

Chen believes this is not about whether anyone can be controlled, but about each fulfilling their duties and respecting one another, "because this concerns farmers' livelihoods and people's daily necessities." When problems arise, one should have the courage to take responsibility and see how the problem should be solved, rather than dodging.