Rat Prevention Master Application Criticized for Excluding Old Apartments; Taipei City Cites Prioritization of Management Committees

(CNA, Taipei, May 18, by reporter Yang Shu-min) Taipei City has launched a "Rat Prevention Master" service to help citizens combat rodent infestations. Wenshan District Chief Chen Chih-ying pointed out today that only those with a management committee can apply, excluding old apartment buildings, sarcastically calling the city officials "masters of telling jokes." The Environmental Protection Bureau responded that, for now, priority is given to community management committees and that this shouldn't be derided as a joke. Chen, along with the Taiwan Forward Front, questioned the Taipei City Government's rodent control measures in front of the Taipei City Council today. He said that when elderly residents of old communities asked him for help with rats in their homes, he found that the application for the city's Rat Prevention Master service requires filling in which community management committee one belongs to and who the representative is. He added that the first note on the application form clearly states that only applications from management committees are accepted, which excludes old communities. However, it is residents of old communities who go to collect rat poison, while large communities with management committees are in a much better situation. He also criticized large-scale clean-ups as being localized, questioning the city government's slogan-based approach to governance and diversion of focus. He sarcastically remarked that the Rat Prevention Master has become a "master of telling jokes," believing that with the city's ample financial resources, it should increase manpower or hire external contractors for assistance. The Environmental Protection Bureau explained that rat prevention requires the collective consensus and concerted efforts of residents. To enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of control measures, priority is given to processing applications through management committees, which agree to receive the rat prevention service and, after diagnosis, mobilize community residents to jointly carry out control actions. The Bureau responded that since the official launch of the community rat prevention service on the 15th, a total of 25 applications had been received by noon on the 18th, showing a real demand from the public. They stated that frontline staff are fully committed and should not be derided as a joke. (Editor: Lee Hsi-chang) 1150518