| The Government Procurement Integrity Platform for the Anping Reclaimed Water Plant has successfully assisted the Water Resources Bureau (WRB) of the Tainan City Government in completing key project milestones this year. In recognition of this achievement, WRB Director-General Chiu Chung-chuan led a delegation today (Dec 25), including Chief Engineer Chiu Chien-yen, Secretary-General Tsai Kuo-chuan, and Director of Civil Service Ethics Huang Yao-chang, to visit the Tainan District Prosecutors Office and express gratitude for their support. During the visit, Director-General Chiu emphasized that the governance experience gained from the Anping Reclaimed Water Plant Government Procurement Integrity Platform will continue to be internalized and expanded, integrating best practices into the development of the Rende Reclaimed Water Plant Government Procurement Integrity Platform. The aim is to ensure a secure and transparent work environment for public officials, encouraging them to perform their duties with confidence while guaranteeing projects are completed on schedule, with high quality, and free of corruption. In a meeting with Chief Prosecutor Chung Ho-hsien, Director-General Chiu also shared insights into the critical flood control efforts for Sanyeh River, a project spanning multiple mayoral administrations. Over the past few years, more than NT$4.7 billion has been invested in mainstream flood control initiatives, with the central and local governments working together to complete comprehensive improvement works along a 10-kilometer stretch by 2022. The project also involved the construction of seven major pumping stations and the reconstruction of eight bridges, reducing flood-prone areas by approximately 96%. As a result, no major flooding has occurred in recent years, demonstrating the project's effectiveness in strengthening Tainan’s flood resilience. In addition to wastewater infrastructure projects, Tainan City has been actively advancing seven wastewater treatment systems, including those in Anping, Huweiliao, Liuying, Guantian, Rende, Yongkang, and Annan. As of the end of November 2023, the coverage rate of the public sewer system reached 27.67%, with over 200,000 additional households connected. The planned sewer network covers an area of approximately 1,400 hectares, aiming to serve a population of over 130,000 residents. Considering the challenges posed by climate change and the increasing water demand from the rapidly expanding semiconductor industry, the Tainan City Government is continuing to invest in reclaimed water infrastructure. Nearly NT$8.4 billion has been allocated to construct three reclaimed water plants in Yongkang, Anping, and Rende. Starting this year, these facilities will provide 45,500 cubic meters of reclaimed water per day, with capacity increasing to 63,000 cubic meters daily in 2025, and projected to reach 90,000 cubic meters per day by 2026. These efforts aim to maximize water reuse efficiency and ensure a stable industrial water supply. To conclude the meeting, Director-General Chiu shared insights on the operational experience of the Anping Reclaimed Water Plant Government Procurement Integrity Platform, highlighting the cross-agency communication and collaboration with the Tainan District Prosecutors Office. He expressed his expectations that the Rende Reclaimed Water Plant Government Procurement Integrity Platform will continue to benefit from judicial cooperation, ensuring protection against undue external interference and maintaining transparent and corruption-free project execution. Chief Prosecutor Chung Ho-hsien acknowledged the Water Resources Bureau’s efforts in promoting integrity governance and emphasized the importance of further collaboration. He expressed hope that the WRB and judicial agencies will strengthen cooperation across various initiatives to safeguard Tainan’s water environment security. Through joint anti-corruption efforts, both parties aim to uphold transparency and integrity, creating a high-quality, corruption-free, and prosperous Greater Tainan. Since taking office, Mayor Huang Wei-che has prioritized flood prevention and water resource management, adopting a comprehensive water management approach to develop Tainan into a “sponge city” that is flood-resilient and water-secure. His administration has promoted sustainable water resource development, aiming to harmonize modern water management with the natural environment. Under this vision, the Tainan City Government has actively implemented three key strategies: water management (治水), clean water (淨水), and water-friendly environments (親水) across the city. The WRB has conducted thorough cross-agency reviews and utilized regular communication platforms to systematically address challenges in regional drainage improvements, pumping station construction, sewer connection expansion, reclaimed water plant development, and water environment enhancement projects. By evaluating these issues from an impartial standpoint, the WRB ensures that the most effective and transparent solutions are implemented, with results feeding back into project execution for continuous oversight and improvement. In addition to rigorous supervision of all construction projects, the WRB is committed to publicly sharing governance achievements to enhance civic engagement and oversight. Through its unwavering stance against corruption and commitment to integrity-driven, high-efficiency public infrastructure, the administration fosters public trust in major infrastructure projects and reinforces its determination to build a clean, accountable, and citizen-centered government. Mayor Huang emphasized that among Tainan’s seven Government Procurement Integrity Platforms, the Anping Reclaimed Water Plant Government Procurement Integrity Platform, which was established in 2020, successfully completed its mission in 2023. He expressed his gratitude to the Tainan District Prosecutors Office for serving as a strong pillar of support for the city government, as well as to the Agency Against Corruption (AAC) of the Ministry of Justice and Director Kao Po-yang of the Civil Service Ethics Office for their unwavering commitment to ensuring that civil servants can carry out their duties without concerns or external pressures. By upholding clean and accountable governance, the city ensures that public works are carried out with the highest standards of integrity and transparency. |