In the 2020 Central Taiwan Regional Governance Platform meeting, deputy chiefs from seven counties and cities met in the Forte Hotel Changhua on July 20. The meeting was jointly chaired by Deputy Magistrate of Changhua County Hung Jung-Chang; Deputy Mayor of Taichung City Huang Kuo-Jung; Deputy Magistrate of Nantou County Chen Cheng-Sheng; Deputy Magistrate of Miaoli County Deng Gui-Ju; Deputy Magistrate of Yunlin County Hsieh Shu-Ya; Deputy Mayor of Chiayi City Chen Shu-Huey and Deputy Magistrate of Hsinchu County Chen Chien-Hsien. The platform is grouped according to the five major issues. The groups are the air pollution environmental protection group, the economic development group, the transportation construction group, the tourism and travel group, and the agricultural marketing group. Last year (2019), 21 cooperation (continued monitoring) cases were proposed. In this meeting of deputy chiefs, 9 cases will stay monitored, and 12 monitoring cases will be lifted. The platform hopes to jointly resolve air pollution, industry and transportation problems and strengthen the marketing of tourism and agricultural products.
In 2020, a total of 21 new proposals were added. However, given that the COVID-19 epidemic has slowed down, one of the cases was withdrawn. Two provisional motions were put forward at the meeting. In one proposal, the Agriculture Department of Hsinchu County recommended that starting in 2021, Yunlin County, Chiayi City and Hsinchu County change the original Soil and Water Conservation Service Team Joint Training and Business Seminar of Taichung City, Changhua County, Nantou County and Miaoli County to an annual rotation basis assumed by each of the seven counties and cities. This would enhance the quality of soil and water conservation management, achieve the goal of water and land resources conservation and fulfill the goal of protecting the nation's land. In the other proposal, Changhua County, Taichung City, Nantou County and Miaoli County recommended that the central government delete the Point 6 provision on the threshold for project self-liquidating ratio in the Public Building Design and Peripheral Integration Plan Application and Review Regulations to ease the financial burden of local governments.
To alleviate the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on all walks of life, the chief executive meeting for this year was scheduled for mid-August in conjunction with the press conference for joined tourism activities and marketing. Events in the seven counties and cities are connected to strengthen marketing efforts. In addition, Yunlin County, Chiayi City and Hsinchu County are invited to join the Central Taiwan Tourism Promotion Alliance to expand the effects of the cooperation. It is hoped that the cooperation can activate the tourism and economic development of central Taiwan. Deputy County Magistrate Chen said that Hsinchu County has the highest income and tax revenue, but its overall allocation is disproportionate. He hopes that in the future, the seven counties and cities can use their local characteristics to solve the problems of air pollution and transportation in central Taiwan, and jointly market tourism and specialty agricultural products.